DawnStar's Reign
by CheshireKitten413
Summary: A Warrior's fanfiction (duh) about how a little kit taken in by FireClan changes the course of the Clans forever- Self-created characters, plotline, and setting. (All credit to the Erin Hunter team for the idea of it, though)
1. Allegiances

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

I apologize for the more than 7 day hiatus, I'm on a road trip and wifi is limited. I promise to try to get a few more chapters up soon.

FireClan

Leader: Riverstar- grey she-cat with piercing blue eyes

Deputy: Berrycloud - blue-grey tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Twilightsong (apprentice, Fernclaw) - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Warriors:

Stormfur–grey tom with a long tail

Badgerstrike - grey tom with long claws

Hickoryleaf- wise black tom with a long tail

Sharptongue- dappled she-cat

Nightstorm, –black tom with white-tipped ears and tail

Adderfang –light brown tom with grey eyes

Brightstep, –cream she-cat with glimmering blue eyes

Tawnywhisker, –grumpy black she-cat

Foxbark- dark ginger tom with brown eyes

Brokenstem- blue she-cat with yellow eyes

Brambleclaw- tawny colored tabby tom

Dawnheart- black she-cat with round yellow eyes

Brownpelt- brown tom with a black tipped tail

Cheesefur- yellow tom with blue eyes and a stump tail

Lilymoon- green-gray and white striped she-cat

Queens:

Twistertail –Brown she-cat with large eyes (kits: Tigerkit, Shadekit, Crackkit)

Lionpelt –golden she-cat (kits: Sweetkit, Thunderkit)

Apprentices:

(None at the moment)

Elders:

Heavytail- tawny colored she-cat

Yellowtart-golden she-cat with dull grey eyes

Ratear –skinny black tom

LeafClan:

Leader: Robinstar-fiery ginger tom with black eyes

Deputy: Rippedclaw- huge brown tom with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Cherryheart (apprentice, Scalepaw)-red she-cat with two different colored eyes; one blue, one brown.

Warriors:

Whitetail- white tom with brown eyes and a black-tipped tail

Thunderstorm, (apprentice, Bluepaw) -burly brown tom with dark yellow eyes

Firepelt - ginger tabby tom

Reedwind- grey striped tom with blue eyes and drooping ears

Blackear, (apprentice, Darkpaw) -white she-cat with black tipped ears

Sandfur- yellow-pelted she-cat with orange eyes

Dullfang- black tom with grey eyes and small teeth

Mintstripe- cream tom with green and grey stripes

Mistywing-ginger she-cat with green eyes and sharp claws

Queens:

Stonewing- dark gray she-cat (kits: Dapperkit, Smallkit)

Poppystorm- black she-cat with white paws (kits: Snowkit)

Apprentices:

Darkpaw- black tom with yellow eyes

Bluepaw- blue-grey she-cat

Elders:

Jayfur- blue-gray tom with a stump tail and a twisted paw

Windsong-green-gray dappled she-cat

Foxpelt-ginger tom with blue eyes

LightClan:

Leader: Runningstar- tawny colored tom with black eyes and powerful legs

Deputy: Scarpelt (apprentice, Softpaw) - black tom with scars decorating his pelt

Medicine Cat: Heatherwind- a wiry brown tom with grey eyes

Warriors:

Sharpclaw- black tom with grey eyes

Rabbitfur- quick cream she-cat

Quickstorm (apprentice, Redpaw) - intelligent tom with brown fur

Oakpelt (apprentice, Hollypaw) - ginger tom with brown eyes

Longstripe-black tom with a white stripe running vertically down his back

Badgertail- large brown tom with black paws

Queens:

Orangetail-orange she-cat (kits: Pinekit, Fadedkit)

Apprentices:

Softpaw- cream she-cat with black eyes

Redpaw- small ginger tom

Hollypaw-cream she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Bluemoon-blue she-cat with green eyes

Crimsonpelt- ginger tom with brown eyes

RainClan:

Leader: Ebonystar - black she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Mousepelt- brown tom with brown eyes

Medicine Cat: Goldenleaf- golden striped she-cat

Warriors:

Honeyface (apprentice, Sagepaw) –golden she-cat with blue eyes

Fernpelt- grey she-cat with blue eyes

Oatflower (apprentice, Acornpaw) –silk-furred she-cat

Eaglefeather (apprentice, Blackpaw) – long-haired tom with ginger fur

Aspencloud-tawny colored she-cat

Pinefrost (apprentice, Raggedpaw) –brown tom with white tipped ears

Queens:

Roseblossom-red she-cat with blue eyes (kits: Vanillakit, Lilykit)

Deerheart-thin brown she-cat (kits: Maplekit)

Apprentices:

Acornpaw- tawny she-cat with brown eyes

Blackpaw- white tom with black paws

Raggedpaw- black and cream tom

Sagepaw – cream she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Pepperstrike-cream and brown speckled tom

Shadowclaw – black tom with brown eyes

Cats Outside Of Clans

Fang –blind black tom that guards Moonfall

Cinderoak- tom that was banished from FireClan


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Dawn stumbled, coughing, through the snow. The cold seeped through her thick pelt and into her bones. The white of the storm blinded her and stung her eyes.

"Maude!" Her voice was but a tiny squeak against the whirling roar of the storm. As she searched for her sister, she shook with cold and terror. There was no response. The barn was too far away, and even if it was close, the door would be barred with the thick flurry of snow.

She tripped over her own paws as she trudged on. The hard-packed snow she had been walking on turned to frosted sand with one pawstep, mewling in surprise. The river would be in front of her soon. Dawn knew now she was past the fence, and she couldn't turn back. She bounded forward. Snow clung heavily to her soft kit pelt, yet she kept going. Any time now, she would find the water of the river.

Instead, she felt her paws slip from under her. When she would have expected freezing water to engulf her, the only thing her body met with was cold, slippery ice. As she slid across, howls of terror escaped her throat.

Suddenly, teeth met in her scruff. Hard ice was replaced by sharp air as the teeth lifted her up. She flailed, but they carried her onward at a fast pace. She heard its paws pounding against the snow and saw her own frozen breath clouding in front of her. That was the last she saw before she felt warm, slipping into a dark horizon.

Voices flooded Dawn's ears, the only sound now. The whirling of heavy snow were gone, and she no longer felt frozen and helpless. Was she back in the barn with her parents?

"She's just a kit… We can't put her back out there in the snow, and that's final." The voice was a she-cat, and sounded like a voice of authority.

"She's not of the Clan, and she was near Twolegplace. You know, where the kittypets live?" This one sounded upset and accusing, and was a tom.

A sweet, new voice spoke from the far corner of the dark space. "Riverstar's right. What kind of a Clan would we be if we let a helpless kit die? What would StarClan think of that?"

Dawn blinked, regaining her vision slowly. She realized that it was not a dark room, but a den of some sort. Hollows along the floor were decorated with leaves and sticks of kinds, and herbs probably as well. She coughed with confusion, struggling to sit up.

"She's awake!" The sweet voice spoke again. A pretty tortoiseshell she-cat rushed over. Dawn noticed her tail was just a stump, but she didn't seem bitter about it. In fact, she acted almost like Dawn's mother. Her paw gently touched her shoulder, as if she was trying to push her back down. "Don't try to get up just yet. You're still frostbitten."

Dawn stared up at the tortoiseshell, shivering. Now it had come to her attention that she felt as if needles of ice were poking through her pelt, and all the way into her skin. "Who…Who are you?"

"I'm Twilightsong, the FireClan medicine cat. You're in my den." Twilightsong gazed to the side, where a small grey cat was padding into the den. "Fernpaw! Come here and meet the kit."

Fernpaw's eyes lit up upon seeing the huddled kit. "What's her name?"

A muscular-built tom stepped beside Fernpaw. "We don't know yet. She just woke up a few moments ago." Then, with a dip of his head, he announced. "I'm Badgerstrike."

"Yes, well, Badgerstrike, now that you've told the kit your name, could you go organize a hunting patrol? Take Adderpaw with you, and you can find another warrior to go with you two." When Badgerstrike left the den, an older she-cat took his place. Her eyes glimmered with wisdom, her ginger pelt glowing in the moonlight streaming in from the entrance.

"I'm Riverstar, FireClan's leader. Welcome, young kit. What's your name?" Riverstar leaned down and licked the fur on Dawn's pelt the wrong way. She was prepared to growl, but she began to feel warmth instead of anger.

"Dawn…I'm called Dawn." She watched Twilightsong rummage around in the hollows, pulling out a few leaves of different herbs.

"Well, Dawn. I'll come to see you later. For now, listen to Twilightsong and Fernpaw. They have important things to say." Riverstar pressed her forehead to Dawn's before backing away and padding out of the den.

"Come with me." Twilightsong stood and exited. Dawn got up shakily, sprinting after her. Glancing around in the new area, she searched for the familiar tortoiseshell pelt. When she saw her enter a sheltered cave with lichen hanging around it, she bounded after. Pushing the lichen away, she called into the damp cave.

"Miss Twilightsong…?" She struggled to remember what her mama had taught her about addressing cats older and wiser than she. Her tiny paws stumbled through the moss nests lining the cave, unknown scents taunting her. Her fear increased when she realized she was no longer in the lichen cave.

Dawn blinked in the sudden light, letting out a mew of terror. She felt blind from the white light piercing her skull as she opened her mouth wider, inviting the scents. Then, all of a sudden, the light settled. Dawn stood not far from a waterfall in the soft grass of greenleaf, hearing birds and scuttles of prey in the undergrowth. She gazed around at the shimmery landscape.

A smooth, calm voice broke through the sounds of nature. "Dawn, welcome to StarClan."

"StarClan? What's StarClan?" Dawn turned to the voice, seeing a cat, black as night, watching her with soft yellow eyes from the shadows of the cliff side. The cat padded forward.

"StarClan is the endless hunting grounds for deceased cats, where we can live freely, burdened by no terrors or sadness. I'm Brokenheart, Twilightsong's mentor and the previous FireClan medicine cat." The black cat purred, her tail tip touching Dawn's shoulder.

She jolted away, shocked. "I'm dead? I _can't_ be dead! I have to find Maude! And my mom! And the barn…" Dawn broke down in sobs, crumpling to the ground.

Brokenheart's sweet scent flooded her nostrils as she sobbed. "Now, now. Don't cry- you're not dead! I've called you here for a reason. I need to talk to you."

"Then why," Dawn hiccupped. "Why couldn't you come into Twilightsong's den and tell me instead of scaring me like that?"

"Because, my dear, it is only you who can know of the prophecy." Brokenheart licked Dawn's head calmingly.

"P-prophecy?" Her fear and sadness melted to curiosity as she got to her paws, blinking away tears to look up at the StarClan cat. Brokenheart shimmered and the beautiful landscape of greenleaf wavered along with her. "Wait! Come back!"

Dawn blinked as Twilightsong replaced Brokenheart's figure. She stared down at the kit worriedly. "Are you alright? You didn't respond when I called your name."

"Where'd Brokenheart go?" Dawn asked, her ears pressed against her head. Twilightsong froze at the mention of the name.

"You must have had a hallucination…Brokenheart is dead, dear. Let's not talk about her anymore, alright?"

She sniffled and nodded. Twilightsong continued awkwardly, as if Dawn were to collapse again. "That's Heavytail." She swung her head in gesture to a large yellow she-cat. "You're old enough to eat fresh-kill, but since it's leaf-bare and it's hard to come by, she will nurse you."

Heavytail nodded her head and twitched her tail, beckoning her over. Dawn hesitantly padded over before nuzzling into the queen's belly, enjoying the feeling of warmth and security.

Only after she was full, she realized Twilightsong was gone. Dawn didn't mind much, since her eyelids were drooping with exhaustion. The trip to StarClan was taking its toll on the young kit, and she soon faded into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"I heard Heavytail has a new kit! Let's go see her!" Excited mewling came from the far corner of the nursery, waking a drowsy Dawn. From the looks of it, it was nearly sunhigh outside and she hadn't gotten up yet. Still, she kept her eyes closed in an effort to seem asleep.

Tiny paws began to pummel her sides. Dawn hissed and curled up, but the other kits didn't give up. When she couldn't bare it any longer, she stood up quickly.

"What do you want?" She hissed, her tail lashing angrily. The other kits backed away, their eyes wide.

"We just wanted to see if you could play with us…" A grey tom spoke, stepping towards her. "I'm Stormkit. Who're you?"

"Dawn…" She backed away self-consciously. The grey kit followed, while the others hung back.

"My mom is Lionpelt. She's over there." Stormkit gestured with his tail. "And in the crowd of kits is Bramblekit, the yellow-gold one and his littermate Brownkit, he's obviously the brown one, Cinderkit's the grey and black one and he's my brother."

"Really?" Before Dawn could finish her sentence, Cinderkit shoved past Brownkit. "What are you doing here, _kittypet_?"

He spat the word out like it was poison. His orange eyes blazed with defiance and fury as he bared his teeth at Dawn. Bramblekit jumped on him before he could get any closer. The two tussled in the small space until Bramblekit won, pinning the other to the ground.

Suddenly every kit had something to say. Yowling erupted from all four, all but Dawn. She stayed silent, watching the toms bicker. Since they all had their attention on each other, they hardly noticed when she slipped out of the nursery.

In the open area, Dawn was surprised at how busy it was. Warriors clumped together by a den, probably theirs, eating fresh-kill and gossiping. Apprentices play-fought and trained in a sandy patch sheltered under trees. Elders chatted under an overhang, complaining about achy bones and snow.

Dawn scampered over to the training area, hiding in a small scoop in the earth. She watched diligently as pairs of apprentices copied battle moves from their mentors in pairs. She was amazed by all of their speed and agility, but one certain tom caught her attention as he walked past from the camp entrance, fresh-kill dangling from his jaws.

It was a well-built black tom with white tipped ears and tail, absorbed in his own world. It seemed no other apprentices or warriors were with him. Dawn cautiously crept out of her hiding place, following him to the fresh-kill pile, where he dropped his catch on top.

"Hi!" Her words seemed to startle him as he whipped around. "I'm Dawn. Who're you?"

"Shouldn't you be in the nursery?" Was his only response before he began to stalk off towards a den made a brambles near a trail into the woods. Dawn followed him, matching his pace.

"I just want to know your name! You're an apprentice, right? That means you're over… six moons? Seven?" She gazed up at the tom expectantly, her ears angled in curiosity.

"I'm nine moons old. I'll be a warrior soon." There was a slight hint of pride in his voice.

"You still didn't answer my question…" She followed him into the bramble den. He turned and blocked the entrance.

"I'm Nightpaw, and you can't go in here. This is the apprentice's den, and you're not an apprentice." He tried to shoo her away with his paw.

"I will be! I'm four moons old, so that's only two to go, right?" She flicked her tail happily, her voice rising in a purr. At first he said nothing, only sighed.

"Go back to the nursery. Your mother must be worried sick by now. We can talk when you're an apprentice." Nightpaw leaned down and licked her fondly between the ears before gesturing with his tail toward the dark nursery.

Dawn pouted and padded slowly back to the den. She still felt Nightpaw's gaze watching her to make sure she went in. She did, but only to make him stop watching her.

"There you are. Now, I've bet you've explored a bit, huh? Time for a rest." Lionpelt meowed, settling back down on the nest of moss and feathers. Dawn didn't argue, laying down beside her,

"Heavytail?" Dawn mewed, looking up at the older she-cat. "Where are your kits? Your real ones?"

A flash of sadness clouded Heavytail's eyes while she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You're my kit now, whether blood relation or not."

Heavytail went quiet after that. Dawn assumed she was sleeping and closed her own eyes, allowing for sleep to wash over her. She tossed and turned. It was a long time before rest would take her.

The next morning, she was awoken by Riverstar's call. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here around TallOak."

Heavytail nudged Dawn up, pushing her out of the den. Bramblekit, Brownkit, Cinderkit, Cheesekit, and Stormkit followed with their mothers. They all sat outside of the den together, gazing up at Riverstar for the announcement.

Nightpaw and Sharppaw sat beside Riverstar, looking proud. "I, Riverstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turns."

"Nightpaw, Sharppaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Riverstar spoke to the apprentices professionally.

"I do!" They spoke in unison.

Riverstar smiled and continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Nightpaw, Sharppaw, from now on, you will be known as Nightstorm and Sharptongue. FireClan welcomes you as a full warrior."

Sharptongue buzzed with excitement as Riverstar pressed her forehead to the new warrior's in respect, but Nightstorm stayed calm. "As you know, these two will have to hold a silent vigil from sundown to sunup."

Shouts of the new warrior's names came from every cat in the clearing, and even Dawn joined in. The two warriors were clearly a popular pair.

"But this warrior ceremony isn't all I've called this Clan meeting for. We have a new kit that deserves her new Clan name." Riverstar's gaze shifted straight to Dawn as she spoke, not lifting her eyes off of her. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to take away the name of this cat. For it now longer stands for who she is. Dawn, from now on, you shall be known as Dawnkit. Welcome to FireClan."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Dawnkit yawned and stumbled out of the nursery. Nightstorm had ignored her ever since he became a warrior, keeping his promise and being too busy with warrior duties to visit her. Still, she understood. She had other things to worry about, such as her naming ceremony at sundown.

She blinked against the sunhigh light. Bounding over to the fresh-kill pile, she chose a small mouse and carried it to the shade of under a tree, close to the nursery. Heavytail allowed her to eat outside of the den, as long as it wasn't too far away. Although leaf-bare was just nearly over, the days were already warming up quickly. Or, it may just be her thick pelt doing its job.

"Hey, Dawnkit!" Cheesekit padded over, his words muffled by a chaffinch. He dropped it on the ground and settled next to her. "I heard from Heavytail that your naming ceremony is today. Mine is too! We're gonna be lucky, having the apprentice's den to only the apprentices. The nursery was overcrowded, but I guess the apprentice's den will be too."

She swallowed her bite of mouse and laughed. "I'll teach you battle moves in secret if I learn them before you, I promise." She winked at him.

He shrugged. "Who do you think our mentors are going to be? I think Stormpaw was lucky he got Adderfang. He's so nice! And he never loses his patience."

"Yeah, but Cinderpaw got Badgerstrike. I guess it fits." Dawnkit chewed another mouthful of mouse.

"Why? Because they're both mouse-brained?" Cheesekit said mockingly. "He's not that bad, you know."

"Don't swear. It's not becoming. And you're right- Badgerstrike _does_ have a good side." Dawnkit smiled at her own joke as she finished her mouse.

"Oh, whatever. Stormpaw agrees with me." Cheesekit called after her as she strode back into the nursery. Heavytail glanced up.

"Did you even groom yourself today?" She rushed over and began licking roughly. "With how messy your pelt is, I'm surprised you don't have fleas!"

"I do groom myself, I just haven't had the chance yet. I was going to." She meowed, ducking as her mother continued to try to lick her.

"Well, get it done. Your ceremony is soon and you can't be looking like a rouge that has been scavenging out of Twoleg trash for seasons." Heavytail let her kit groom herself, helping only with parts she couldn't reach. "Are you excited?"

"That's a dumb question. Of course I'm excited! Weren't you when you became an apprentice?" Dawnkit asked in between licks.

"Ah, yes, but that was long ago. In fact, I believe I only have another litter of kits left before I'll have to join the elders." Heavytail smiled at the memory of her apprenticeship.

"Who do you think my mentor will be?" Dawnkit's eyes danced with joy as she questioned her mother.

"Hard to say. Berrycloud, maybe. He hasn't had an apprentice in over five moons. Then again, it's possible you could get one of the newer warriors…" Heavytail looked thoughtful as her gaze darted around the clearing, making a list of possible mentors for her kit.

"Who do you want it to be?" Dawnkit shuffled her paws in excitement.

"What's with all the sudden questions? You know that Riverstar will give you the best mentor she can. But, to answer you, I believe that Sharptongue would be a good mentor. We'll have to wait and see." Heavytail watched the young ginger warrior sprint across the clearing from the woods, a large vole and a rabbit in her mouth. "Why don't you go talk to her?"

"Alright!" Dawnkit took off after Sharptongue, just barely meeting her at the trail to the woods. "Sharptongue?"

"Yes, Dawnkit? Is there something you need?" The warrior paused, focusing all her attention on the little cat in front of her.

"If you were to have an apprentice, who would you want it to be? My mother thinks you'd be a great mentor."

Sharptongue flicked her tail sheepishly. "Oh, I don't know. You, maybe. Or Cheesekit. I don't think I'm suitable for an apprentice quite yet."

"Nonsense!" Badgerstrike sidled up beside Sharptongue, pressing his pelt to hers. His voice took on a sweet tone as he spoke to her. "You're a great hunter and an amazing fighter. Any apprentice would be lucky to have you as their mentor."

"Oh, you two stop. I'm going hunting. Badgerstrike, want to come with me? Maybe you could bring Cinderpaw along, if he can curb his temper enough to catch something." Sharptongue nodded away Dawnkit, signaling that their conversation was over.

"Are you alright, little kit?" Twistertail's voice floated to her as she padded towards Dawnkit. "Oh, talking to possible mentors?"

The warrior was nearly a queen, being close to having Hickoryleaf's kits. Still, she insisted on hunting and doing patrols until the day her kits were born. She smiled at the young cat.

"Yeah. Heavytail thinks Sharptongue would be a good mentor." Dawnkit glanced back at the trail where the two cats exited. "I don't know, though. She doesn't seem very confident…"

"But that can be a good thing. Over-confidence can turn a humble, well-meaning cat to a ferocious, mercy-less foxheart. Besides, it seems like there's someone you would rather have as a mentor than Sharptongue." Twistertail meowed, watching Dawnkit closely. The young cat only shrugged.

"Anyway, go get ready. Your ceremony could be any time now." Twistertail leaned down and whispered. "Any cat here would be lucky to have you as an apprentice!"

Dawnkit nodded enthusiastically and bounded off to the nursery. Today was her last day in it, she realized. Not until she had kits would she be back in there. _If_ she ever had kits.

She rested for a while until Riverstar called a Clan meeting. Dawnkit bounded out of the nursery, her paws tingling with excitement. She ran to TallOak, sitting on a root. Bramblekit, Cheesekit, and Brownkit followed, choosing their own roots. It was obvious all three others were buzzing as well.

"By naming apprentices, we show that FireClan will survive and remain strong. From this moment on, until they have earned their Warrior Names, these Apprentices will be known as Dawnpaw, Bramblepaw, Cheesepaw, and Brownpaw. While it is unusual that we name four apprentices at once, all are of age and deserve this." Riverstar said.

The clearing came alive with calls of the four new apprentice's names. Meanwhile, Bramblepaw, Brownpaw, Cheesepaw, and Dawnpaw shone with pride and excitement.

 **"** Hickoryleaf, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Brownpaw. Hickoryleaf, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of care and honor. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice."

Brownpaw pressed his forehead to his new mentor's. They stood there together and waited, while the two others got their mentors.

"Berrycloud, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Bramblepaw. Berrycloud, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of truth and intelligence. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice."

They did the same as the previous pair did. Dawnpaw shuffled her paws in anticipation, waiting for the murmurs to die down before she got her new mentor.

"Foxbark, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will mentor to Cheesepaw. Foxbark, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of readiness and loyalty. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice."

"Sharptongue, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Dawnpaw. Sharptongue, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of agility and stealth. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice."

Dawnkit concealed her happiness while she padded towards Sharptongue. The warrior was just as surprised as she was.

"Congratulations all of you on your new mentors and apprentices. Clan dismissed!" Riverstar jumped down from TallOak and walked into her den.

"Come on, we're going to see Clan boundaries!" Sharptongue exclaimed as she bolted for the entrance. Dawnpaw had to run to catch up, just barely seeing the proud look from Heavytail as she ran past.

Sharptongue lead her, running, through the woods. The newleaf sun shone through the trees as they rushed past. Dawnpaw was having trouble keeping up as she followed her new mentor. Dodging thorns and branches, she had to set her paws just right so that she didn't trip. If she were to fall, she'd lose sight of her mentor and never catch up.

Then, all at once, Sharptongue halted.

"What is it?" Dawnpaw asked, but was immediately shushed by the warrior. Following Sharptongue's line of sight through the spindly trees, she saw movement.

"What do you scent?" Sharptongue whispered.

Dawnpaw focused, parting her jaws slightly. A strong smell of sap and maple hit her. "It smells…fresh…but overpowering."

"That's the scent of LeafClan." Sharptongue lowered herself, flattening against the ground. Dawnpaw copied her the best she could when the warrior gave her an expecting look. "Remember that."

"But isn't the border over there? Their smell is stronger there…" She motioned with her tail, confused. Her mentor nodded grimly.

"We'll approach them and ask what they're doing here. Do _not_ give them any reason to battle. We're trying to spare blood here, and they may have a good reason." Sharptongue got up and padded through the undergrowth. Dawnpaw followed.

A dark tabby tom was facing away from them. Along with him was a smaller white tom, most likely an apprentice, and a green-gray she-cat. Sharptongue stayed a few tail lengths away from them.

"Excuse me, LeafClan? Why are you so far from the borders?" She meowed respectively, the fur on her shoulders lying flat.

The three whipped around, wearing different expressions. The white apprentice stared at her in dread, a fresh-caught mouse dangling from his mouth. The she-cat wore a look that seemed superior, as if she was important enough to not bother with borders. Yet the tabby looked angry, possibly at himself for being stupid enough to get caught.

"Borders? You mean the ones _your_ Clan doesn't bother to mark clearly? It's not surprising we accidentally stumbled past them. The smell is so faint none of us could tell we had even stepped into your messy territory!" The superior one hissed in defiance.

"Impossible! We marked them at sunhigh today, Reedwind. And what has Mintpaw got? Is it your Clan's prey?" Sharptongue asked calmly. Mintpaw gave a regretful look, shaking his head, but the dark tabby stepped in front of him.

"I'll have you know my apprentice has done nothing! It simply ran over your so-called marked borders, and we couldn't tell. It's still LeafClan prey." His answer angered Dawnpaw, but she forced her fur to lay as flat as Sharptongue's.

"Rippedclaw, we both know the warrior code says otherwise. Now, for the sake of sparing spilled blood, could you give it back?" Sharptongue mewed calmly, her amber eyes hypnotic.

"Never!" He spat, but his apprentice padded past him. He laid the mouse at Dawnpaw's paws.

"Here you go. I'm sorry." He spoke, not to Sharptongue, but to her.

His mentor snatched the prey back up as soon as Mintpaw stepped back. "LeafClan does not give unearned prey _from their own territory_ to a rival Clan just because a petty mouse-brain asks!"

"But it's our prey! You said so yourself that it went over the border! It's your own mistake you couldn't scent it!" Dawnpaw glared, immediately regretting her words.

"Doesn't FireClan teach their apprentices to show respect to other Clans' deputies?" Rippedclaw snarled through the mouse, stepping towards Dawnpaw threateningly.

"Calm yourself, please! She's been an apprentice for not even a day yet, and we do teach them that! Maybe you should teach your apprentices to not steal from other Clans!" Sharptongue hissed at them, receiving a glare from Reedwind.

"You will _not_ tell my kit what to do! He hasn't done anything besides pass your faulty borders on accident! That mouse was rightfully LeafClan's, and you know it!" Reedwind growled, lashing out a clawed paw aimed at Sharptongue's ear.

Sharptongue ducked. "Dawnpaw! Go find the hunting patrol and ask them for help!"

Reedwind, Sharptongue, and Rippedclaw jumped into battle. With a quick glance at each other, both Mintpaw and Dawnpaw turned tail and bolted. Her paws flew through the sun-dappled forest, ignoring scuttles of prey. It took too long to find the patrol.

"Tawnywhisker! Lilypaw! Nightstorm! Sharptongue needs your help!" She yelled out, turning immediately.

Without question, the patrol followed her as she began running again, back to her mentor. Although she had ran over half the length of the forest, she didn't feel tired. The only thing she felt as she raced along was anxiety. Dawnpaw urged her paws to go faster.

When she finally fell upon the place, she was dismayed to see more LeafClan warriors, at least four more. Sharptongue was in the midst of it, fighting them off with the strength of TigerClan. The three Dawnpaw had brought along picked their own enemies and began to fight.

She was prepared to back away when teeth met in her tail. She let out a howl of pain and turned to see an apprentice, larger than she. She jumped onto the grey cat, sinking her claws into his pelt. With a screech of fury he hopped around. Dawnpaw only clung on tighter.

"Let go of me, foxheart!" He growled, rolling over and crushing her. She struggled to breathe against his thick pelt. When she felt as if her lungs would burst, she let go. Her opponent stood, hardly giving her enough time to right herself before lunging at her again, teeth bared.

Dawnpaw moved to the side, striking out and scoring his side. Crimson blood leaked from his side as he hit the ground messily. She took the chance and pinned him down, raking her claws across his muzzle.

"Get off!" He shrieked, wriggling. As soon as she got off, he limped off quickly to LeafClan's side of the border.

Heartbeats later, she heard Rippedclaw's yowl. "Retreat!"

Instantly, the warriors turned and fled to the border, disappearing into the thick woods. Dawnpaw scanned the battlefield, looking for her mentor. Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw the she-cat laying on her side, her side rising and falling quickly.

"Sharptongue!" Dawnpaw raced to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I…I'm fine…" She coughed, spluttering as blood leaked out of her mouth. Red was pooling underneath the warrior's head at an alarming rate, staining the sand. "J-just… see… if… anyone… else… needs … help…"

"Go get Twilightsong!" Dawnpaw called out to Lilypaw. The apprentice nodded and raced in the direction of the camp. "You'll be fine, Sharptongue… I'll make sure of it."

"Don't fret…" Sharptongue smiled frailly. "I'll… I'll be okay…"

Twilightsong burst through the birch trees, Lilypaw following. She quickened her pace when she saw Sharptongue, carrying a leaf bundle in her mouth. "What hurts?"

"M-My side… My head is throbbing… I'm dizzy…" Sharptongue mewed weakly. The medicine cat nodded, nudging her bundle open.

"Eat this, dear." She pushed a few leaves towards the warrior's mouth. Sharptongue obediently chewed the herbs, struggling to swallow. Twilightsong chewed up another leaf, patting it onto a long slice on Sharptongue's side. "Dawnpaw, go find some cobwebs and bring them to me, please."

Dawnpaw nodded and stood, rushing into the trees. She collected as many as she could, wrapping them around her paw. She ignored the sounds of prey, attempting to run back to the medicine cat on three paws, holding the other one in the air.

"Oh, thank StarClan! Come on, Dawnpaw." Twilightsong unwrapped the cobwebs from the apprentice's paw with her teeth, fastening them onto the warrior's side. "Go on back to camp. I'll come for you when I'm done."

Dawnpaw hesitated, shuffling her paws. Twilightsong gave her a promising look. "It's alright. She'll be fine."

She nodded, and after a long while of watching them, she turned away. Very slowly, she padded back to camp. She watched the trees go slowly by as her paws trudged along, her mind clouded with worry.

"Hey." Nightstorm's voice startled her. She whipped around to see him standing right behind her. "Want to hunt with me?"

"I…don't know how. I was just made an apprentice today, remember?" She meowed, embarrassed.

"Then I'll teach you." Nightstorm's tail curled around her's. "Oh, calm down. I know you're worried about Sharptongue, but let me teach you how to hunt. It'll keep your mind off her for a little while."

Dawnpaw sighed. "Alright. What do I do first?"

Nightstorm stepped back a bit, flattening himself to the ground, like Sharptongue did when she noticed the LeafClan warriors. "First off, make sure to stay low to the ground, especially when what you're hunting is inside a knothole or underneath a bush."

Dawnpaw clumsily copied him, struggling to keep her body level with her paws. "Am I doing it right?"

Nightstorm nodded. "You're okay for a first try. Next, you slither forward like a snake to your prey. Like this." He did just as he said, flawlessly and silently.

She tried to move forward smoothly like he did, digging her claws into the soft earth. Nightstorm observed her, his expression not giving anything away. "Great job. Remember that during leaf-fall there are dry leaves that can crackle and scare away prey if you're not careful."

"Oh, okay, thanks. Anything else I should know?" Dawnpaw asked, sitting up regularly.

"Hm, let's see…Well, apprentices hunt for the elders and queens first, and when you're on a hunting patrol, you can't eat anything you catch until you get back to camp. But it's not that hard, especially in newleaf and greenleaf, to keep the fresh-kill pile well stocked." Nightstorm's speckled pelt shone in the dappled sunlight, giving him an almost StarClan warrior look. " _Now_ do you want to hunt?"

"I…I can try!" Dawnpaw's tail swished with enthusiasm as she bolted off towards the thicker trees. Nightstorm followed close by.

"How about here?" He slowed down in the deep woods. Trees were covered in thick moss and dew, and undergrowth was scattered. "It doesn't seem like any cat has hunted here for a while, and it's on the edge of the territory."

Dawnpaw nodded and began to scent the air. "Smells tangy…and like dirt. What's that?"

"That's mole." A scuttle further away indicated the prey's location. "Maybe more than one, if you're lucky. I'll wait back here. Go ahead and test it out, but be careful and watch for its claws."

Dawnpaw lowered herself to the ground and slithered forward, her breathing steady. The bushes kept moving. _It won't suspect a thing,_ Dawnpaw thought as she paused. Suddenly, the mole shot forward and right past her paws. She jumped up and raced after it.

She flew through the woods for a few heartbeats before she leapt, digging her claws into the mole's back. She flicked it over and sank her teeth into its throat before it could react. _A messy kill, but my first!_ Dawnpaw realized.

"Good catch. Your first one, too. Let's go back to camp- it'll be dark soon, and you can brag about your kill then." Nightstorm meowed, sidling up next to her. "Who are you going to give it to?"

Dawnpaw began walking, giving him a shrug. "Probably Sharptongue, but Twilightsong might want to share it with her too." Her tone was muffled with the mole as she dragged it along.

"It's a great catch for your first time." Nightstorm stayed beside her as they walked.

After a few minutes, Dawnpaw spoke again. "Nightstorm? Do you think Sharptongue will be alright? It would be terrible to die over a border argument…"

"She'll be fine, Dawnpaw. Focus on how happy she will be that you made your first catch, and that it was a mole. Those are hard to find, since they don't come out of the ground that often, and also that they're huge." Nightstorm reassured her again and again until they reached the camp.

Murmurs of surprise were heard from assorted cats when the two entered. Nightstorm turned to Dawnpaw. "Go and see if Twilightsong is back. Bring her the mole, too."

She nodded excitedly and ran off, almost tripping over her catch as she made her way to the medicine cat den. She padded in, where Twilightsong was bent over Sharptongue.

Dawnpaw dropped her prey and nudged the medicine cat. "I made my first catch today and I want you and Sharptongue to share it!" She exclaimed happily.

"That's great!" Twilightsong turned her head briefly. "A mole? I didn't know we could find those here! I'd never seen a warrior catch one, nonetheless an apprentice!"

A groan came from Sharptongue. "Your first catch was a mole? Who taught you to hunt?"

Her tone wasn't resentful, just surprised. Dawnpaw purred out her answer. "Nightstorm taught me!"

"He was always willing to help younger ones…" Sharptongue mewed wearily. "You did amazing, young one."

"Go on, Dawnpaw. Sharptongue needs her rest. Go tell the rest of the Clan about your catch. The elders will be amazed!" Twilightsong nudged Dawnpaw out of the den.

Her tail drooped as she trudged back to the apprentice's den. Suddenly, she didn't feel so proud anymore. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but she ignored the tempting smells from the fresh-kill pile.

"Hey, Dawnpaw!" Lilypaw whispered from her nest, opening her eyes. Her grass green eyes pierced through the dark of the den. "I heard you made your first catch today. What was it?"

"A mole…" She sat in her own nest, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She was determined to improve her mood. "It was huge!"

"I'm sure it was! Where'd you find it? I'd never heard of any cat catching a mole before. I always thought they stayed underground." Lilypaw purred, stretching out her limbs.

"Nightstorm and I went near the edge of the border- the one we share with RainClan. It was under a bush, and holes were around it." She continued the story of how she caught it before she heard a groan from the back of the den.

"Will you two shut up? It's dark and some of us are trying to sleep." Cinderpaw hissed, glaring at them. "It's nice that you caught a mole, but no one cares."

"I do! And I know Sharptongue does, and Twilightsong. Maybe it's just your bad temper!" Lilypaw growled. "Please, Dawnpaw, go on. If a certain party dislikes this story, they can leave or ignore us."

Dawnpaw stifled a laugh and continued. "Like I said, Nightstorm taught me how to hunt, but it didn't help in the end of the catch. I had to run after the mole. It wasn't that hard though, because they're kind of blind unless they're tunneling through dirt."

"Nightstorm, huh?" Lilypaw said in a teasing tone. "I think you like him!"

"Oh, shush…" Dawnpaw mewed, embarrassed. "He's four and a half moons older than me and already a warrior. I'm just an apprentice, anyway…"

"He probably likes you too!" Lilypaw squealed, before settling back on her nest. "I'd love to talk more, but Mister Fussyfur over there is glaring at me. That, and I have dawn patrol. So, goodnight Dawnpaw!"

"Goodnight, Lilypaw." Dawnpaw closed her eyes, sighing. Worry still clouded her thoughts, even after the excitement of today. Still, rest came to her easily, and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

It was still dark when she heard movement outside the den. Blinking, she got up and shook sleepiness from her pelt. A dark figure slipped away from the den, moving quickly. Dawnpaw crept out of the den, watching as the figure moved towards the dirtplace tunnel.

 _A false alarm,_ she decided. Still, now that she was awake, she couldn't fall back asleep. Pawsteps filtered in behind her. Cheesepaw walked up beside her, a confused look on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine… Just woke up and couldn't fall back asleep." Dawnpaw sat outside the den, wondering what to do next.

"The dawn patrol isn't for a while…" Cheesepaw whispered, seating himself next to him. "Want to go check out a thing I found yesterday?"

"What was it?" She asked, turning her head towards the other apprentice. Cheesepaw's eyes shone with excitement.

"You'll find out when you see it! Now come on!" The ginger tom bounded towards the entrance. Dawnpaw got up and followed, allowing Cheesepaw to guide her to a deep river.

"How do we cross this? We can't swim- we're not RainClan cats." RainClan cats had to learn how to swim from kithood, having to do so to escape floods and overflowing lakes in their territory after snowmelts in newleaf.

"There's a fallen log over here. Follow me, and dig your claws into it. Otherwise, you'll fall in and it's really cold, but it doesn't move fast enough to drown you." Cheesepaw padded towards a damp piece of wood, naturally placed across the river. The apprentice began to walk across it.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Dawnpaw asked, hanging back. The log looked as if it would snap in half any time without warning.

"Positive. Stop being such a mouse-heart and get over here!" Cheesepaw was already on the other side of the river, waving his tail.

"Fine…" Dawnpaw hoisted herself up onto the soaked log, her claws digging into it, just as Cheesepaw had instructed. She cautiously made her way across, setting one paw in front of the other carefully. Eventually, she made her way across, landing next to Cheesepaw.

"Good. Now come on, we have to be back before the dawn patrol heads out, and we need to catch prey as an excuse for being out. Hurry up!" He called as he raced towards a Twoleg fence.

"What's here?" She asked, catching up. Cheesepaw smiled and gestured towards a large crop of sweet-smelling, tempting catnip.

"You found this? That's great! Should we take some back to Twilightsong? I noticed that she was running low…" Dawnpaw meowed.

"Or we could keep it a secret until it's _really_ needed." Cheesepaw said, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws. "You never know."

"Maybe…" Dawnpaw whispered. "But we should really go hunt now. Cats will begin to notice we're gone."

"Fine, let's go then." Cheesepaw mumbled simply, upset that the other apprentice wasn't as excited as he was about his find. The two went back into their territory, going separate ways to hunt.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Dawnpaw!" Berrycloud's call come through the camp, jolting her from her dream. She got up groggily and padded out, blinking the sleep away as the deputy stared down at her.

"You're going on dawn patrol with Twistertail, Tawnywhisker, and Cheesepaw. Go wake him up. You'll have to leave almost immediately- the others have been waiting." He nodded her away.

Dawnpaw went back inside the den, nudging Cheesepaw awake. He let out an unhappy groan. "Come on, Cheesepaw. We're on dawn patrol."

"My belly and my head hurt…" He whimpered, curling up again and resting his tail on his nose. His eyes were shut tightly.

"You'll want to go and tell Twilightsong, she'll help. Actually, stay here. I'll tell her." Dawnpaw had had a close relationship with the medicine cat since she healed her when she was a kit. "I'll inform Berrycloud you aren't feeling well and he'll choose some other cat to take your place. I hope you feel better by the time I come back. I want to train with you."

She pushed her nose into the tom's fur, clammy with a cold sweat. A wave of sympathy hit her as she licked behind his ear affectionately. Dawnpaw left the den and snuck towards where Twilightsong sat outside the medicine cat den, daintily eating a shrew.

"Twilightsong?" The she-cat made a questioning noise as she looked up. "Cheesepaw isn't feeling alright. Can you go check on him?"

The tortoiseshell swallowed and nodded. "I'll ask Fernclaw. I have to manage Sharptongue. Could you go in and convince her to open her eyes and eat some fresh-kill? She's more stubborn than ever since the border dispute."

"I have to go on dawn patrol. Unless I can do it afterwards, could you handle it? I'm late as it is…" Dawnpaw shuffled her paws and glanced behind her nervously, seeing Tawnywhisker and Twistertail waiting by the camp exit.

"Oh, of course. Go on. I guess Sharptongue could use a bit more rest anyway." Twilightsong finished her shrew and disappeared into her den. Mews came from her and Fernclaw as Dawnpaw treaded towards where Berrycloud was perched outside of the warrior's den, grooming.

"There you are! Where's Cheesepaw?" The deputy glanced behind her, his expression darkening as he noticed the apprentice's absence.

"He wasn't feeling well enough to leave his nest. Bellyache and headache. I've already informed Twilightsong." Dawnpaw meowed. Berrycloud nodded.

"Ask Lilypaw, then. It'll do you both good to have the experience of a real patrol." Berrycloud continued grooming, as if to emphasize that he meant now.

Dawnpaw turned on her pads and entered the apprentice's den once more. Lilypaw was sleeping soundly in her corner nest, her back rising and falling steadily. Morning light shone on her pelt, giving the white stripes the illusion of glowing. Bits of moss and bracken were tangled in her fur. She smiled and nudged her, just as she did Cheesepaw.

"Morning, Lilypaw. Dawn patrol." Dawnpaw spoke. Almost as soon as she finished "patrol", Lilypaw jumped up.

"I forgot! Why'd you wake me so late! Oh, I bet they've already left…" Worry edged her tone as she paced outside.

"Actually, Cheesepaw was supposed to go, but he's not feeling well!" Dawnpaw raced after her as she met up with the two she-cats waiting.

"She's right." Tawnywhisker said. "Let's get a move on. You two have kept us waiting long enough with your little switch stunt."

The older cat turned around, padding quickly out of the camp. Twistertail followed, her paws setting louder on the ground. She was heavy with kits still, and they were due in around a moon. "Don't be so hard on them, Tawnywhisker. They're only new apprentices, and their friend is ill."

"Everyone gets ill sooner or later. Maybe if they'd dealt with it faster I wouldn't be "so hard on them"." Tawnywhisker snorted, walking towards the first scent marker along the border to the Twolegplace. "Why don't you two reset these, while Twistertail and I go along farther? Meet up with us when you're done."

Lilypaw and Dawnpaw nodded. They set the markers quickly, hurrying back to the two older cats. Lilypaw was silent as soon as they got back, and most of the way back towards camp. This was unusual for the energetic she-cat, who usually would chatter on with her friend about anything and everything.

"Are you alright?" Dawnpaw asked after Lilypaw was still silent, even when they passed her favorite landmark and hunting spot; a tall birch with a disused beehive, too high up for any cat to reach. Lilypaw had vowed that she would be the first to get the honeycomb concealed within, to give some to the kits and medicine cat.

The apprentice nodded. "I had an odd dream last night and I've been thinking about it a lot…we can talk about it more when we're alone." Then, lowing her voice to a whisper, she said, "I don't want any other cat to know!"

Excitement rumbled through Dawnpaw's belly. She nodded to the other apprentice, padding forward. "Can Lilypaw and I go hunting together?"

"No." Tawnywhisker quickly shot her down. "Your mentors have you scheduled for training, and if you hunt, you'll be too exhausted to learn anything or try it out."

Dawnpaw let out a grunt, pacing herself so she fell in step with Lilypaw again. "Sorry, I tried."

"I know." Lilypaw whispered. "Maybe we can talk when the warriors are at the Gathering tonight!"

 _That's right!_ Dawnpaw thought. _The Gathering is tonight! I wonder who is going to get picked to go…_ "If we have the apprentice's den to ourselves or if we can meet beside the medicine cat den. No cat will be in there."

The small patrol appeared in the FireClan camp. The deputy looked up at their arrival as he raced in from the training area, flicking his tail in a greeting. "Dawnpaw, Lilypaw. Come here, please."

The two apprentices gave each other a wary look before padding over together. Berrycloud let out a short puff of exhaustion, sitting back down. Bramblepaw followed him, but saw that he meant to speak to a different cat and went towards the apprentice's den. "Your mentors want you to go to the training patch. Meet them there."

As they began to walk away again, Dawnpaw suddenly turned back. "Wait!" She called. "My mentor is hurt. Who do I train with?"

The deputy stuck his head out of the warrior's den. A look of realization crossed his face, leaving him looking puzzled. "Oh, right… For today, just train with Lilypaw's mentor, Tawnywhisker. Hopefully she won't mind. Afterwards, ask Riverstar who she wants as your mentor while Sharptongue recovers."

Dawnpaw nodded, turning back. Lilypaw sat with her back to the other apprentice near the elm tree at the entrance, her ears pricked to listen to her mentor. Dawnpaw walked over to the sandy patch, taking a seat beside her friend. Tawnywhisker stopped her talking abruptly, staring at the young cat.

"Is there something you need? Because Lilypaw and I should get started." The old warrior glared at her, expecting an answer.

Dawnpaw began to stumble on her words, trying to urge out an explanation. Lilypaw, thankfully, came to her rescue. "Riverstar hasn't appointed a temporary mentor for her while Sharptongue's hurt, so Berrycloud told her to train with us. Afterwards she's going to ask about her new mentor."

"I won't get in the way, I promise!" Then, seeing the disgruntled look on the she-cat's face, she suggested, "I can even go ask her now, so that I get out of your fur earlier…"

Tawnywhisker grunted. "Go ask. I never signed up to train two apprentices. One is enough, as far as I'm concerned." She turned and tromped through the thick sand to a shaded spot.

"Your mentor sounds like an elder!" Dawnpaw whispered to Lilypaw. The two mewled with laughter as they went their separate ways.

Dawnpaw stopped in front of Riverstar's den, a large old badger set from the beginning of FireClan. "Riverstar? May I come in?"

"Yes, Dawnpaw. I was just about to call for you." Inside the den it was dim, but not dark enough so that a cat couldn't see where they were going. Enough light came in from the entrance to fill the whole of the den, except for a corner where the leader's nest was planted.

"You were? About my new mentor?" She asked with surprise, padding into the leader's den. Riverstar sat near her nest, a half-finished sparrow by her side.

"Well, yes, sort of. Dawnpaw, I have some bad news about Cheesepaw…" The leader began, worry clouding her usually sparkling eyes. "He has greencough."

"Greencough?" Dawnpaw gave her a look of disbelief. "Surely Twilightsong can help him? She's a great medicine cat…"

Riverstar sighed and nodded. "Yes, she is. Not even warriors of the Dark Forest can say otherwise. Unfortunately, there has been a shortage of catmint in all the Clans but one. LeafClan. And they made it clear at the last Gathering they do not wish to share anything with any other Clan."

"But… that has to be against the warrior code! How can they do that?" Dawnpaw scuffled her paws in the dirt anxiously. "We need the catmint! Can't we just tell them it's an emergency?"

Riverstar shook her head. "I'm afraid we can't. I'll ask at the Gathering, but if we can't get any, we'll have to risk it or try another Clan that most likely won't want to share their limited supply."

"Please, Riverstar. We have to try!" The apprentice's voice was urgent to save her friend. The leader's sorrowed look wavered.

"And we will. Why don't you come to the Gathering tonight? Then you can see the outcome yourself, instead of just hearing of it from an elder's gossip." Riverstar winked.

Dawnpaw gasped and her eyes went wide. Being asked to a Gathering was important, and by a leader even more so. Her voice came out as a surprised squeak. "Really? Are you sure?"

Riverstar laughed. "Of course. Now, about the mentor problem. I've decided that since you worked so well with him when hunting, Nightstorm will be your mentor until Sharptongue recovers enough to train with you."

 _Good, someone that I know and don't relatively hate,_ Dawnpaw thought with relief. The tension from before had gone when Riverstar mentioned her new mentor. "Thank you, Riverstar. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor, or a better Clan to be in. You're the best leader ever!"

She pressed her muzzle to Riverstar's pelt in respect before bounding out into the clearing. She made a beeline for the medicine cat's den, eager to check in on her friends. Fernclaw left the den as soon as she began to enter. They smashed into each other, tumbling to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" Dawnpaw apologized, gripping Fernclaw's scruff and helping her up. "Are you alright, Fernclaw?"

"I'm fine, Dawnpaw. Why are you in so much of a hurry?" The medicine cat apprentice questioned, shaking the dust from her pelt.

"I need to talk to Cheesepaw and Sharptongue!" She yowled and rushed past Fernclaw, entering the den. The two figures were huddled in their nests.

"Guess what?" She said in a soft but excited tone, plunking down in between their nests. Sharptongue slowly lifted her head, blinking. Her eyes seemed to adjust as she stared at Dawnpaw.

"What's the matter?" She asked, taking a deep inhale. "Be quieter, Cheesepaw needs to rest."

"I got asked to go to the Gathering!" Her voice rose in a squeal as her tail swished. "Riverstar asked me herself!"

Sharptongue coughed, her side rising in a painful breath. "That's great! StarClan is really watching over you. So many good things have happened…"

"But you're still hurt." Dawnpaw pushed her nose into the warrior's tortoiseshell pelt. It felt matted and ungroomed. She began to lick, cleaning the still she-cat.

"Would you do me a favor?" Sharptongue croaked. "Get me a poppy seed. Twilightsong won't mind, and my side is killing me."

"Did she say you can have some today?" Dawnpaw asked. Twilightsong's voice sounded at the entrance in answer.

"I said she can. Here, give some of these to her. I have to give Cheesepaw some honey to soothe his throat." A leaf with a few scattered black seeds were pushed towards her. She nudged them close to her old mentor's mouth, silently pleading her to eat them.

The she-cat lapped them up gratefully, laying her head back with a sigh when she finished. "So, have you been assigned a new mentor yet?"

It pained the apprentice to hear her mentor's voice sound so broken, so different from the normal cheery voice she was used to. Still, she swallowed and responded. "Yes. Nightstorm will be teaching me from now on."

"Another piece of good news. Any gossip going around? Our boring old medicine cat won't tell me anything, in fear of 'making my injury worse'." Sharptongue snorted weakly, her normal defiance returning.

"Your warrior name fits you well." Twilightsong teased. "Didn't your parents ever tell you to respect your elders?"

"Well, what I've heard is mingled good and bad. Which do you want to hear first?" Dawnpaw curled her tail around her paws, forgetting her training session she was supposed to be at now.

"The bad. It's always better to garnish bad with good." The wisdom from the weak cat in front of Dawnpaw didn't seem to be her own.

"LeafClan has refused to share their herbs or anything else with any other Clan. Coincidentally, they happen to be the only Clan with enough catmint to spare. The rest of the Clans, including us, have been suffering a loss of catmint lately and it's the one herb we need…" Dawnpaw glanced at Cheesepaw, her heart growing heavy once more.

"Fox dung!" Sharptongue exclaimed. "How does StarClan allow them to do that? I need you to be my eyes, ears, and paws at the Gathering tonight. Tell me every bit that happens in the morning!"

Dawnpaw nodded enthusiastically, glad for the warrior's strength. "The good news is that prey is running better than any greenleaf any elder can remember. The mole I caught wasn't just luck. It was StarClan's bidding for our Clan to have good hunting."

"I see." The warrior smiled at the wall behind Dawnpaw. "Shouldn't you be getting to your training? Or at least resting for the Gathering. You shouldn't be wasting your time talking to an injured warrior and a sick apprentice."

"But you're my friends! It would never be wasting time to speak with you. But you're right, I was supposed to go tell Nightstorm! Farewell!" Dawnpaw sprinted out of the den, running to Berrycloud.

"Where's Nightstorm?" She asked, out of breath.

"In the warrior's den." His response was short as he looked up from his mouse for less than five heartbeats.

Dawnpaw nodded and headed to the warrior's den. Foxbark entered before she did, calling out. "Nightstorm! You're wanted for a hunting patrol!"

"Wait!" Dawnpaw said, pushing her way beside Foxbark. The warrior glared down at her. "You're my new mentor. I'm supposed to train with you before I go to the Gathering tonight."

Foxbark snorted. "And I'm a flying cat. Come on, Nightstorm."

"I expected her to say that." Nightstorm stood, circling to them. "I'm going into the woods with my apprentice, Foxbark. Tell whoever is leading the patrol that I'll help them some other time."

"Fine, but she better not be lying!" Foxbark turned and ran towards a small group of cats near Riverstar's den, his bushy red-brown tail trailing behind him as he went.

Nightstorm turned to Dawnpaw after he left, his eyes calm. "Let's go."

He began to walk to a small trail to the woods. Dawnpaw ran after him. "Shouldn't we be training with Lilypaw and Brownpaw in the training patch?"

He shook his head, not slowing his brisk pace. "I find it more practical to practice in the woods, where you're more likely to actually fight, not in a sand patch with other apprentices being instructed other things than you are."

Nightstorm stopped in one of the thick patches of woods, spinning around. "Attack me."

"Just like that?" Nightstorm's paw clipped Dawnpaw's ear before she could finish speaking, making her recoil.

"Too slow. And yes, just like that. Keep your claws sheathed, though. We're not badgers." Nightstorm crouched, readying himself. Dawnpaw gazed at him warily.

"Don't just stare at me. I told you to attack me." He swatted at her with his black paws. "Don't worry, I won't get hurt if you keep your claws sheathed. Just imagine I'm Rippedclaw, the LeafClan deputy that attacked Sharptongue!"

Dawnpaw growled, circling around Nightstorm quickly. He had a hard time catching up with her, twirling while trying to keep his stance. He stumbled, trying to recover. Dawnpaw took the opportunity, pouncing on his back. She battered at his spine with her hind paws, struggling to hold on without using her claws.

Nightstorm easily threw her off. She landed with a thud, getting to her paws. Blinking away dirt, she saw her mentor nod. "Good job. That was a good tactic with the confusion. You caught me off-balance and took advantage of it."

Dawnpaw nodded enthusiastically. "I couldn't hold on though. I couldn't get a pawhold."

"You'll be able to in battle." Nightstorm stood again. "Next time, don't spend so much time planning. If you strike out immediately, your opponent won't be able to think. You're good at using the element of surprise, and keep that in mind."

Dawnpaw nodded again. "What now?" Her paw throbbed from where a thorn stabbed into her pad when she stood back up after being knocked off.

"Well, we can—Are you hurt?" He cut himself off, his eyes shooting to her paw that set was slightly gentler on the ground.

"I just got a thorn in my pad. Not a big deal…" She shrugged, wincing as pain shot through her leg.

"Come here and let me help." He ordered. Dawnpaw hung her head and limped over, lifting up her paw for Nightstorm to inspect. He leaned down and began to lick at the thorn before gently tugging at it with his teeth. It slipped out easily, but she still felt a little bit of pain in her paw.

Nightstorm spat the thorn out and gathered a cobweb from a blackberry bush nearby, wrapping it around Dawnpaw's paw. The apprentice lightly set her paw back on the ground, surprised at the disappearance of the pain.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" She asked, amazed. Dawnpaw walked around, testing her paws.

"Twilightsong's my mother." He said in a quiet, gruff voice. Dawnpaw's astonished look increased as she stopped walking, staring up at him.

"But I thought it was against the medicine cat code to have kits!" She exclaimed, stunned.

"My mother was a warrior first. Then Riverstar realized that Brokenheart wouldn't live forever, and she asked for a medicine cat apprentice. Although my mother was barely done nursing me and my sister, she took up the job." Nightstorm explained, meeting her gaze calmly.

"Who was your father? Is Sharptongue your sister?" The apprentice questioned, padding closer. She sat down, looking up at him like a kit begging an elder for a story.

"Snowfur was my father. He died of an adder bite not many moons after I was born. No, Sharptongue isn't my sister. My sister didn't survive to apprenticehood. A fox got her when she and I were exploring. It was my fault, really, and I still regret our exploration of the territory to this day." Sorrow crept into his voice.

"I'm so sorry…" Dawnpaw mumbled. "What was she like? Your sister, I mean. What was her name?"

"Her name was Brightkit. After she died, I made her a warrior ceremony by myself. I snuck out of the nursery after the sun set and named her Brightbreeze. Brightbreeze was the prettiest kit I'd ever seen." Nightstorm's voice grew nostalgic. "Soft white and black striped fur, pink nose, bright blue eyes… She knew more about herbs by the time she was five moons old than Twilightsong did. My mother was absolutely heartbroken when she died; she wanted her own kit to grow up to be a medicine cat, just like her one day."

Before Dawnpaw could ask any more questions, Nightstorm shook his head. "That's enough memories. We'd better get back to training before some cat finds us talking about kits while in the wood. They'd think we were as nutty as a squirrel in greenleaf!"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Dawnpaw padded along with her Clanmates, eager to get to the Berry Patch where all Gatherings were held. Riverstar was in the lead of the group, followed by Berrycloud, Twilightsong, and Fernclaw. In the group of warriors and apprentices were Foxbark, Adderfang, Bramblepaw, Brightstep, Badgerstrike, Cinderpaw, and her. She was traveling at the back of the group, struggling to keep up with their brisk pace.

Cinderpaw fell into step with her, giving her a judging look. "What's Riverstar thinking, taking a _kittypet_ to a Gathering?"

"For the last time, Cinder _kit_ , I am not a kittypet, and you should remember that while I caught a mole on my first day of hunting- my first day of _apprenticeship_ \- it took you nearly a quarter moon to catch a puny shrew!" Dawnpaw meowed confidently, swishing her tail in defiance.

"Oh, please! It was pure luck that you caught that! I bet it was Nightstorm who caught it anyway. You couldn't catch greencough, even if you tried!" Cinderpaw growled, the fur on his neck raised.

"Shush!" Brightstep hissed, glaring back at the two apprentices. "You'll be sent back to camp if either of you says another word to each other. We're almost there."

"Oh yeah?" Cinderpaw challenged. "Who's gonna make me go back to camp?"

"Me." Badgerstrike said gruffly, swiveling his head around to glare at his apprentice. "You both know better than to behave like that. Dawnpaw, why don't you go at the front, with Twilightsong? That way, you won't provoke Cinderpaw."

"I wasn't…" She began to protest, but realized it was hopeless and padded to the front. From there, she saw a large area with scattered blackberry and gooseberry bushes, mixed with oak and cedar trees. It was alive with scents and voices, some she recognized, some that were unknown.

Riverstar padded calmly through the bushes on a worn path, to a center area. A single maple stood to the far right, four high stumps in a row beside it. Dawnpaw guessed that was where the leaders stood when addressing the Clans.

In the clearing before it, cats turned their heads to see the arriving Clan. Dawnpaw was amazed at how many there were, and at the sharp scent they carried. Two of the Clans seemed to be glad to have FireClan arrive, but LeafClan stood to the side, staring at the newcomers with burning eyes.

Riverstar jumped up onto a stump with a net of claw marks scored into it. The three other leaders were already on their own stumps, all with different markings. Runningstar, the leader of LightClan, stood upon one with three vertical lines on it. Ebonystar, leader of RainClan, had a stump with wavy horizontal lines. Robinstar, LeafClan's leader, stood upon one with no marking at all.

Twilightsong and Fernclaw were gathered with the rest of the medicine cats by the maple, watching their leaders. From their scents, Dawnpaw picked out a wiry brown tom as the LightClan medicine cat, a reddish ginger she-cat as LeafClan, along with her apprentice, a black tom with white paws, and a golden she-cat as the RainClan medicine cat. The two LeafClan cats sat at least a tail length away from the rest, an uneasy look in the she-cat's eyes.

"Cats of all Clans!" Runningstar yowled, standing up. "The Gathering is about to start!"

The talk died down to mumbles of excitement. "I shall start," He continued.

"Prey had been running exceptionally well for leaf-bare, and two new kits were born four sunrises ago; Rabbitkit and Orangekit. We are sad to say Bluemoon has joined the elders, and Quickpaw is now Quickstorm." Runningstar stepped back, nodding to Ebonystar.

She stepped forward, clearing her throat. Her voice rang sweet through the clearing like music. "RainClan has been, as always, getting more rain, but we have managed. Ever since Sparrowflight died last moon, my new deputy has been Mousepelt. That is all RainClan wishes to share."

As she stepped back, Riverstar took her place. "Although FireClan is strong, we would like to ask a favor of LeafClan."

Robinstar gave her an expecting look. "After your warriors stole our prey and ignored our scent marks. By all means, ask away. Just don't expect a good response."

Riverstar remained calm, her gaze fixed on Robinstar. "There is a young apprentice in our camp that is sick with greencough, and we have heard you have an abundance of catmint. We would like to ask for a small share of that catmint, so we can save our apprentice. Usually this is medicine cat business, but since you have clearly declined any suggestion before, I thought it would be better for me to ask directly."

At the foot of the stump, Rippedclaw and Berrycloud were glaring at each other, while Mousepelt and Scarpelt wore indifferent expressions. Robinstar scoffed, the dust colored fur on his neck rising. "LeafClan does not wish to share _anything_ with FireClan. And our stocks are low as it is, isn't that right, Cherryheart?"

The red she-cat by the maple stood, meeting her leader's gaze. "I do not know where you got the information that our stocks are low, because Scalepaw and I just collected more catmint at sunrise today. I say we should help FireClan!"

Murmurs of surprise went through the Clans. A dark brown LeafClan warrior from a few cats away from Dawnpaw said to the she-cat next to him, "Why can't FireClan manage on their own? They're always trying to mooch something off of us; be it land, prey, or herbs!"

Badgerstrike growled deep in his throat beside her, digging his claws into the ground after hearing the tom's comment. Meanwhile, Robinstar raised his hackles and spoke towards Cherryheart in a dangerous tone. " _What_ did you say to me? I am your leader, and don't you forget that."

"I'm sorry, Robinstar, but there's an apprentice sick, and I don't want him to die any more than Twilightsong does. It is not breaking the code of warriors or medicine cats to give herbs to a Clan in need, and that is just what I am going to do." Cherryheart stood, beckoning Scalepaw with her tail. "I'm going back to camp now and getting some catmint ready for Twilightsong. I'll be at the FireClan camp at the end of the Gathering."

The medicine cat stormed off, her apprentice hot on her heels. The whole clearing was astonished, but Robinstar was furious. "This Gathering is over!" He yowled angrily, jumping down and sprinting after Cherryheart.

After several minutes of silence, Ebonystar coughed. "Feel free to uh…mingle for a bit…" The rest of the remaining leaders nodded in agreement.

"That was awkward." A voice sounded behind her. She whipped around to see Mintpaw standing there sheepishly.

"Mintpaw!" She smiled at him. "The only LeafClan member I'm happy to see!"

"Same to you, except for FireClan. And it's Mint _stripe_ now." Mintstripe puffed his chest out proudly, the green-gray stripe down his face fitting his warrior name.

"You got your warrior name! That's great! I'm still Dawnpaw…Only made an apprentice yesterday, still…" She felt embarrassed at being so young in front of a new warrior.

A ginger she-cat sidled up next to Mintstripe, giving him an odd look. "Mintstripe, who's this _FireClan_ warrior?"

The cat spat out the word "FireClan" as if it was poison. Mintstripe looked guilty, then took a deep breath and explained, "This is Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw, this is my sister, Mistywing."

"Nice to meet you, Mistywing…" Dawnpaw said uncertainly.

"Charmed." Mistywing spat, before turning to her brother. "Let's get back to our own Clanmates before some cat from our Clan sees us with this mangy flea-pelt."

Mistywing sashayed back to her group. Mintstripe took on the guilty look again, hastily explaining himself "I'm sorry about her. She's never been kind to cats outside our Clan. Or inside it, for that matter. And you're not mangy, or flea-bitten. Your pelt looks well-groomed, and actually quite nice…"

Dawnpaw laughed. "Calm down, Mintstripe. You didn't do anything."

Just as Mintstripe was about to speak, Runningstar's yowl broke through the mass of voices. "The Gathering is now officially over! Please proceed back to your Clanmates, and goodbye until next moon!"

"Well, goodbye!" Dawnpaw smiled as Mintstripe pressed his nose to hers in a farewell. Then he ran back to his group, while Dawnpaw stayed with her own.

"Who was that?" Bramblepaw asked, herding her back towards where FireClan was heading back.

Dawnpaw turned around, walking with him, once again at the back of the group. "A friend. He was at the border dispute, but he tried to help by giving the prey back."

"A friend?" Bramblepaw looked puzzled. "Why would you want a friend in LeafClan? You have us."

"I know," Dawnpaw meowed. "But it just sort of happened. I didn't mean to make friends, but I wasn't about to be bitter and ruin the opportunity either."

"Maybe you should've…" Bramblepaw said. Dawnpaw sighed. _I don't have to ask why, I already know. No cat is going to like the idea of friends in an enemy Clan._

Dawnpaw padded after her Clanmates silently after that, lost in thought. She remembered the way Mintstripe looked at her, and how embarrassed he was that his sister had insulted her.

 _Does he like me?_ She wondered silently. _I can't have a mate in another Clan, but it's flattering if he does._

It was exciting to think of having a friend that liked her in another Clan, especially her Clan's rival. _I don't know, but I guess I'll have to find out what he thinks of me soon enough, before we go into battle and have to fight one another…_

She was still lost in thought when the patrol arrived at camp. It was a clear, cold night. As she stepped into camp, snowflakes floated from the sky onto the frozen ground. Lilypaw was waiting for her by the apprentice's den, bouncing in excitement.

"Come on, I want you to tell me _everything_!" Lilypaw whispered loudly as the two trotted into the apprentice's den.

Dawnpaw settled down in her nest, then gazed at her friend, wide-eyed. "You will not _believe_ what happened, Lilypaw."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Dawnpaw shook brambles out of her fur, sneezing. A bee flew by her head, its buzzing heard loudly over the quiet. She sighed with happiness, listening hard for scuttles of prey, but all she heard was leaves falling and the gentle rustling of the dried blackberry bushes.

"Want to hunt?" Stormpaw's voice startled her. She whipped around, her tail sticking straight up. Stormpaw laughed. "Didn't mean to scare you. Just wondering, since you were ambling out here I figured you'd want to hunt. The Clan definitely needs it."

Dawnpaw nodded. "Where do you think we should hunt? There's no luck around here."

Stormpaw tasted the air. "What about near the Twolegplace fence? If we can't find any there, maybe we can check the barn!"

"Barn?" She cocked her head in confusion. "There's a barn?"

"A little way past the Twoleg fence. You know, in the cherry orchard. A few loners hang around there, but they're usually nice. Mice and voles are easy to find around there, so they always spare some for the cats who come by now and then." Stormpaw craned his neck to lick his shoulder.

"I didn't know there was a barn there. It's outside of our borders, though. I'm not going there." Dawnpaw trotted off towards the river. As she passed the camp, Hickoryleaf called out from his guard post.

"Dawnpaw! Come into the nursery and see Twistertail's kits!" He said, waving his tail.

She turned around, walking backwards. "Sorry, can't! I'm going hunting, but I'll bring her back something uber-tasty!"

Hickoryleaf nodded. Dawnpaw hurried on, aware of Stormpaw following her. She quickened her pace, eager to get to the river. She skidded to a stop on the sand, getting down in a hunting crouch. A duck flittered down to the water, gliding across the shimmering surface. It paddled across the lake.

She moved swiftly towards where the duck was. Dawnpaw was lucky the duck was facing the other way, or it would have spotted her for sure. Her black pelt didn't mix well with sand or yellow and purple leaves. She crept closer, then pounced, landing square on its back. The duck squawked and flapped its wings and attempted to take flight. But the apprentice on its back was too heavy.

She dug her claws into its sides, biting it hard on the neck. The bird fell silent and went limp. Dawnpaw got off of it but kept her teeth in its neck as a carrier, swimming messily to shore with the bird in her grasp. It was a large duck, a mallard. She dragged it along the shore and buried it near a wiry birch.

"Good catch." Stormpaw commented as he buried the mouse he found. "Especially for leaf-bare."

Dawnpaw nodded and hurried back to the shore, scanning the wide river. The icy water still clung to her thick fur, making her shiver. She shook the water out the best she could, determined to find more prey before journeying back to camp with a soggy pelt.

After a thorough search, she had still found nothing. Disappointed, she dug up her catch and began to drag it back to camp. Hickoryleaf gave her a startled look when she emerged from the leaves with a full-grown mallard.

She flicked her tail in greeting and padded past him. Nightstorm came out into the clearing from the warrior's den. He saw the duck hanging from her jaws and asked, "Where'd you find _that_ in leaf-bare?"

"River." Her response was muffled by the feathers.

He shrugged. "Good job, then. Would you mind plucking the feathers from it before giving it to the queens? The elders have been complaining about stiff joints from thin bedding, especially Yellowtart."

While most apprentices would have groaned and grumbled at having to replace the elder's bedding, it was one of the jobs Dawnpaw enjoyed. The elders always had good stories to tell, and Heavytail was now among them and always kind to apprentices.

As the last few feathers were pulled out and into a pile, Dawnpaw relocated them to a small dig in the camp wall where they wouldn't be blown away by the wind. She then dragged the hefty bird into the nursery, where mewling kits nursed.

Twistertail looked up from where her two kits stumbled to get to her belly, her eyes falling on the plucked bird Dawnpaw held. "That's for us, I hope? These kits are so hungry all the time, I barely get the chance to make a trip to the fresh-kill pile myself anymore."

The apprentice nodded and laid the duck in between Twistertail and Lionpelt. The two were bound to be hungry, so Dawnpaw left the whole bird for the queens. Lionpelt was already heavy with kits again, and Twistertail had only had hers recently. Dawnpaw lingered for a few moments while the two she-cats ate, admiring the kits.

"That pretty she-cat is Dustkit, and that handsome tom is Thunderkit." Twistertail stopped eating for a heartbeat to explain to Dawnpaw. The queen was right; they were a beautiful pair of kits. Dustkit had a light brown pelt like her mother, and Thunderkit had a shimmering brown one like his father.

"They're certainly stunning." Dawnpaw agreed. "Now, I'll leave you two to eat in peace."

Dawnpaw walked across the leaf-dappled clearing, her pads touching the frost on the ground. The days were getting colder and colder, and the nights no better. As she gathered up the feathers to carry, fluffy white flakes drifted from the dark sky. Although it was daytime, the thick black clouds blocked most of the light that should've been covering the camp.

She hurried into the elder's den, carrying the feathers in her mouth. As she entered, she heard Yellowtart meow, "Is it snowing? These old bones aren't getting any better. Would it kill the apprentices to get some warmer bedding in here?"

"Actually," Dawnpaw called, padding over to the three. Heavytail looked up as she entered, her tail flicking in happiness upon seeing her daughter. "I have fresh feathers here, and I can get you some dry moss too."

"Good." Yellowtart grumbled, shifting on her bedding. "Get to it, then. We're not getting any younger here."

Dawnpaw nodded, pulling wet and dirty moss out of Ratear's nest. The tom rolled over onto the cold stone, wincing at impact. As she replaced the nest, Ratear spoke to her.

"Could you get Fernclaw over here once you're done? My paws are numb and my legs hurt." Dawnpaw nodded again, her mouth full of used bedding.

She dropped the moss by the exit. "Do you know anything about Nightstorm's family?"

Although Dawnpaw mewed it casually, the three exchanged nervous looks. "Well…" Heavytail started. "It's a very long story. How did you know about it?"

"Nightstorm told me." She mumbled through feathers. Heavytail sighed.

"Well, we know that his father was Snowfur, and his mother was Twilightsong. Ivystar figured it wasn't against the code, since she gave birth _before_ she was made medicine cat apprentice."

"Ivystar?" Dawnpaw asked, tearing off moss from the cave walls and clawing feathers into it. She added bracken, then set it back in the spot of Ratear's nest.

"She was the leader before Riverstar. Riverstar was her deputy, and she was known as Riverflow then. Ivystar lost her last life in a battle with LeafClan. That's why we're locked in a constant dispute with them." Heavytail explained patiently.

Surprisingly, the other elders stayed quiet while Heavytail spoke. Dawnpaw began working on Yellowtart's nest next, making sure to be extra careful with the way the feathers were faced. Otherwise, the old she-cat would complain about feather ends stabbing her for the rest of leaf-bare.

"Anyways, Twilightsong gave birth to two healthy kits- Nightkit and Brightkit. A black tom with white-tipped ears and tail, and a pretty blue-white she-cat with black stripes. It was a bad day for the whole Clan when she died. One day, she just disappeared. Nightstorm said she'd been exploring and didn't come back. So Ivystar sent out a patrol, and we found her by a fox den, mutilated so badly we couldn't tell where her head was and where her tail was." Heavytail shook her head sadly, training her eyes on the stone floor of the den.

Dawnpaw pretended to be uninterested, calmly changing Yellowtart's bedding. "Go on, please."

"Then came Snowfur. It was just as awful, because I was there. We went on a hunting patrol together, him, Riverflow and I. We were hunting by the river when an adder came up behind him." Heavytail's voice shook. "Riverflow yowled to him to stop, to look behind him, but he just yelled back that she scared his prey away…"

"And by then it was too late?" Dawnpaw guessed, pushing her muzzle against her mother's calmingly.

"Yes…yes it was… The adder bit him, right on the neck. We couldn't have saved him if we tried. We murdered the adder, of course, but it wasn't enough. Snowfur was gone." Heavytail let out a wail.

Dawnpaw wrapped her tail around her mother's side, but she continued to wail. "It's all my fault he's dead!"

"No, it isn't." Ratear said forcefully, glaring at the old she-cat. Although his tone was fierce, his eyes betrayed softness. "No cat blames you for the accident."

"They dooo!" Heavytail cried. "Riverstar and Nightstorm and Twilightsong must hate me!"

"Mother…" Dawnpaw poked her muzzle into the elder's thick fur. "What's done is done. You were not the adder, so you did not kill him. You tried to help, but his fate was already sealed. I'm sure he's happy in StarClan, hunting all the prey he wants."

The she-cat began to calm, hiccupping. Ratear turned to her. "Now that she's done, would you go ask Fernclaw for a few poppy seeds to calm her and help her sleep? It's best that Twilightsong doesn't come in here now…"

Dawnpaw nodded, getting to her paws. As she walked out, she saw Sharptongue sitting outside the medicine cat's den, her chest heaving with the effort of sitting up straight. Twilightsong was encouraging her nearby, ignoring the thickly falling snow clinging to her pelt.

The apprentice padded over. Twilightsong whirled around, exhilaration in her emerald eyes. Behind her, Sharptongue lowered herself on the ground with a relieved sigh.

"Yes, Dawnpaw? Is there something you need?" Her voice was full of joy from watching the patient she had witnessed withering away in her den sit up straight for the first time in moons.

"Heavytail needs a few poppy seeds." Dawnpaw said plainly. The medicine cat tilted her head in confusion.

"But she's one of our healthiest elders… Why?" Twilightsong asked.

"She had a little bit of a fit…" She admitted sheepishly. "I asked her about Nightstorm's father, and she broke down saying it was all her fault. Ratear and I had to reassure her and now she's devastated."

Twilightsong sighed, all the joy gone. "I'll have Fernclaw bring her some soon. And, Dawnpaw?" She added when the apprentice turned to walk away.

"Meet me in my den at moonhigh. I think there's something we need to speak about."

Dawnpaw padded away slowly. _What have I gotten myself into?_


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Dawnpaw nervously snuck across the moonlight clearing, her pawsteps muffled by the snow. Apprentices were supposed to be asleep at this time of night. Silverpelt shone, cloudless, above her. Just when she had thought to turn back, a pair of familiar green eyes glimmered in the darkness.

"Twilightsong!" Dawnpaw whisper-called. The cat looked up, her tail flicking when she saw the young she-cat in front of her.

"Come with me." Her tone was docile as she padded into the forest. Dawnpaw gave a nervous look around before hurrying to catch up with the medicine cat.

"Where are we going? I thought you said to meet in your den…" The apprentice questioned, gazing up at Twilightsong. The she-cat's heartbeat quickened when another voice sounded behind them.

"What are you doing out here so late?" Cinderpaw's obnoxious voice cut in, disturbing the quiet.

Twilightsong turned calmly to the grey apprentice, her eyes shimmering persuasively. "I needed Dawnpaw to come collect herbs with me."

"Isn't that a daytime activity?" He glared at Dawnpaw, his black eyes turning to slits.

"We're hazardously low on a few that can't wait. But this isn't any of your business. Go back to sleep." With a whisk of her tail, the medicine cat turned away. "Come on, Dawnpaw. Those herbs aren't going to pick themselves, you know."

Dawnpaw gave Cinderpaw a look of triumph and followed Twilightsong, keeping her pace as a trot to match the tortoiseshell's. For many long moments after, she still felt the grey tom's gaze burning into her pelt.

Twilightsong rounded a corner and the feeling disappeared. A moth fluttered in front of Dawnpaw, and she had to refuse the kit-like urge to bat at it. "We're not really going to collect herbs, are we?"

The she-cat shook her head and laughed. "Of course not. It's leaf-bare. There _are_ no herbs to collect. But I still need you to follow me, and then I'll explain everything."

Dawnpaw followed Twilightsong in silence. Tension hung in the air as thick as the snowdrops around them. The two went over fallen branches, past old badger burrows from moons ago, and around clumps of frozen bracken before reaching the LeafClan border. Twilightsong stepped over it with ease, not breaking her casual stride. Dawnpaw, however, hesitated.

"A-are we allowed to do this? Cross borders?" The apprentice's tone was so worried that Twilightsong stopped, turning to face the young she-cat.

"Of course we are. Medicine cats are allowed to cross borders always, as long as they have a good reason. And it would just make sense to have a guard in the enemy territory. You, being an apprentice, wouldn't make us seem threatening enough to try to battle. Now come on, dear." The medicine cat began to walk again, deeper into the thick oak trees that LeafClan harbored.

Dawnpaw stepped one paw over the border. It felt no different from FireClan territory, but the scent markers made it overly clear that it was not the same. From the smell of it, LeafClan warriors had patrolled this border more than usual lately.

Ignoring the heavy scent, she broke into a sprint to catch up with Twilightsong. Her paws thudded on the new ground. It was odd now to hear her pawsteps, because they had been so silent before in the snow. But LeafClan's trees were so thick that barely any snow fell through them. Only patches of snow filtered onto the ground every few foxlengths.

Suddenly, behind her, a cat cleared his throat. Dawnpaw halted immediately, her paws skidding on the skimpy frost.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A FireClan apprentice, trespassing onto LeafClan's territory. What a surprise." Rippedclaw padded around her in a circle intimidatingly. "I recognize your scent, you know. You're the 'paw that Mintstripe gave _our_ prey to."

Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes at the ground, the fur on her neck rising. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you're here, or else I'll have to bring you to Robinstar." Rippedclaw chuckled. "And that wouldn't end well for you, or your Clan. Now-"

"There you are!" Twilightsong's voice interrupted Rippedclaw as she stepped forward calmly. "I see you found my apprentice companion, Rippedclaw. We were just on our way to visit Fang."

Rippedclaw grunted, stepping aside. "Fine, go ahead. Just know I'll be telling Robinstar about this."

The deputy sounded upset at losing his chance to embarrass the apprentice. Twilightsong dipped her head before continuing on. "Stay close this time, Dawnpaw."

"Yes, Twilightsong." Dawnpaw said reluctantly. After they had made good distance from the LeafClan deputy, she asked, "Who is Fang?"

"A loner who lives on the outskirts of Twolegplace. He's excellent with herbs and maintains where we're going." The tortoiseshell explained simply, stepping from the edge of the LeafClan border to the patch of plains in between Twolegplace and LeafClan.

Twilightsong hurried her pace as they neared the mouth of a cave, discreetly hidden in the ground beside a tree. She didn't stop as she rushed into the cave.

"Welcome, Twilightsong. Who do you have with you?" A black tom with a milky white eyes asked. As soon as he stood, the medicine cat halted.

"Greetings, Fang. This is Dawnpaw. She is an apprentice in our Clan, and is going to accompany me to Moonfall." Before the black tom had time to respond, she padded down a dark tunnel. Dawnpaw dipped her head in respect to Fang before hurrying after Twilightsong.

She was led down a steep, winding tunnel. Moisture clung to the walls and the sound of rushing water pounded in her ears, making her press them to her head. Finally they emerged into a large, spacious cave lit by the moon.

A waterfall flowed in the middle of it, coming from a hole in the ceiling. Moonlight filtered in, giving the water a silvery starlight effect. Dawnpaw stood back in awe while Twilightsong padded up to the pool, crouching beside it.

"Come, young one. I want you to come and sleep beside the pool with me. All will be understood soon." Twilightsong lapped at the water before her eyelids fluttered closed.

Dawnpaw stepped backward hastily. "Twilightsong?"

"She's speaking with StarClan, young one." Fang's voice floated towards her, accompanied by the scraping of his claws on the stone. She turned to see the bedraggled tom standing behind her, his white eyes fixed on her.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she hung her head in embarrassment. "Oh, um, I mean..."

Fang smiled, his teeth glimmering in the moonlight. "Don't fret, I get asked that whenever a new medicine cat apprentice comes to visit StarClan. And I'm blind. I have been since birth."

"How do you know where you're going, then?" Instead of embarrassment of asking the question, she felt only curiosity.

"I can still smell, I have my whiskers, I can hear well." He tilted his head, one of his eyes rolling to the side. Dawnpaw gasped, backing away.

"What's wrong?" He asked, advancing. She kept backing up until her paw slipped on wet stone, the rest falling from under her. She tumbled back into the icy water, a yowl from Fang piercing the freezing liquid pooling into her eyes, ears, and mouth. The water got colder and colder, until suddenly, her blood warmed.

"Welcome." Brokenheart's silky voice spoke, the only thing she could hear. She opened her eyes slowly and waited for shivers to ripple down her body. Nothing came. In fact, she no longer felt the cold of the water, but the rays of greenleaf sun on her pelt.

Dawnpaw slowly stood up, her limbs creaking. She realized that she was in the clearing once again with Brokenheart. "That was quite the swim, wasn't it?"

The apprentice nodded. _Why is it that every time I come to visit StarClan, it's a near-death experience?_

"Because," Brokenheart spoke, as if she could read the she-cat's mind. "You were needed the first time, but this time, you were unwilling to do as Twilightsong told you. That led to you falling."

"Humph." She sat down in the soft grass. "Why is it you that speaks to me? Shouldn't you be talking to Fernclaw? I'm not a medicine cat…"

"Actually, Fernclaw has her own mentor. Hers was my mentor, Milktail." Brokenheart smiled in reminiscence.

"Am I destined to be a medicine cat?" Dawnpaw's heart drooped at the thought. _I don't want to stay in the camp! I want to be out fighting and doing patrols and hunting!_

Brokenheart shook her head. "Your destiny is not clear. But your expression shows you would be devastated and miserable if forced to be a medicine cat. I can see there is a warrior's spirit inside of you."

The apprentice sighed in relief. Brokenheart continued. "However, be wary of those around you. One of your own Clan will betray, but they will plot in secret. Names mean nothing without actions."

A small white tom with shimmering fur jumped from the top of the waterfall down the rocks to where Brokenheart sat calmly. He pressed his muzzle to her forehead in respect before sitting beside her.

"Hello, Dawnpaw. I'm Milktail, the one you were speaking of not too long ago." His large, soft green eyes were aimed at her, his tail wrapped around his paws. "I have one warning for you. Curiosity is a powerful tool. Use it when you can, but be cautious."

His mouth kept moving, his eyes as serious as before, but the roaring of the waterfall got louder and louder until she couldn't hear anymore. The two cats faded without a goodbye, leaving her blinking in the cavern, the waterfall still rumbling in her ears. Dawnpaw pressed her ears against her head to block out the sound, struggling to see against the morning light flowing in through the hole in the ceiling along with the water.

"Are you alright?" Twilightsong asked worriedly, stopping her licking. "This is the third time I'd had to do this. You're lucky you didn't freeze to death. I thought you would never wake up."

"Did you have any dreams?" Fang stared at her.

"I…I did." Before she could explain, Twilightsong rushed her to her paws.

"Come on, we need to go. Riverstar and Fernclaw will be worried if we don't get back by sunhigh, and you're probably needed for training with your mentor." Twilightsong pushed Dawnpaw to the tunnel with her muzzle.

"It's almost sunhigh?" Dawnpaw mewed shrilly. "I have to go!" She bolted out of the tunnel, continuing to run until she met the LeafClan border. Her paws skidded across the frozen over snow as she struggled to stop.

A flash of ginger fur appeared by one of the many heavy trees. Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes and crouched, hoping her snow-logged fur wouldn't be as visible as she thought. There was no crunching of snow alerting her that any more cats were near, so she crept through LeafClan territory.

"You there! FireClan apprentice! Stop!" A familiar snarl shot towards her. Dawnpaw froze.

"Wait, I know her!" She hissed. "That's Dawnpaw! That mange-pelt…"

Dawnpaw whipped around. "For your information, I was visiting Moonfall with Twilightsong!"

"Oh, yeah? Then where is she?" Hackles raised, Mistywing bared her teeth. A green-gray tom stepped beside her, brushing his tail over her rump.

"Calm down, Mistywing. Why else would one lone apprentice be roaming close to the border with the plains?" His voice was quiet and sympathetic.

"She _could_ be lying. She _could_ be leading a battle patrol and they're hiding from us. Show yourself!" Her voice ended in a shriek.

"Shut up, Mistywing! You'll alert the whole Clan that we're on dawn patrol. And Dullfang's right. She looks pretty harmless." The she-cat eyed her suspiciously, trying to figure out if she chose the right side.

"Dawnpaw!" Twilightsong's voice cut through the snow and leaves as her tortoiseshell figure appeared, bounding towards her. "I thought I told you to stay with me! We'll get to camp when we get there."

Mistywing's gaze shot from one of the two she-cats to the other. Reedwind gave her a gentle smile. "See? There she is now. No harm done."

Mistywing let out a low, quiet growl, her ear flicking in frustration. It was obvious she wanted the young apprentice to be dragged back to their camp, thus embarrassing her and waging official war across the two Clans. There was still tension in the air after Cherryheart saved Cheesepaw's life moons ago.

Twilightsong took place next to Dawnpaw. Her tail draped across the she-cat's back, drawing her close protectively, as if she was her own kit. "Is there a problem here, Sandfur?"

"Your apprentice crossed the border by herself. We had all the right to suspect she was up to no good." As soon as Twilightsong appeared, Sandfur's voice became defensive.

"She told the truth, though. Here I am, and we did indeed go to Moonfall." With no more words, the medicine cat turned and sauntered through the trees, back towards the FireClan border.

"FireClan mouse-brains… think they can go wherever they want…" Reedwind growled after them. Dawnpaw hared after Twilightsong, surprised at the amped up ferocity once Twilightsong had arrived. She didn't know what they had against her.

As Dawnpaw ran, she was unnerved by the crinkly grass under her paws. By now, she was used to the softness and frozen texture of the snow, and it was odd to see land only dusted this late in leaf-bare. Although she had lost sight of the tortoiseshell pelt she had grown to know, she let her instincts guide her to FireClan's territory.

Her paws tingled as they hit the sudden snow. "Hey, Dawnpaw!"

She bolted past the tree, skidding on the ground as she struggled to stop urgently. Scenting the air, she realized who it was. Cheesepaw crouched in a rabbit den underneath a tree, a mischievous smile on his orange muzzle. "It's cold out there! Why not come in here? I hollowed it out…"

Dawnpaw shuffled her feet, glancing back in the direction of the camp. "I would love to, but I have to get back to camp with Twilightsong. Have you seen her?"

Opening his mouth slightly, Cheesepaw scented the air. "Nope, not yet."

Her spirits drooped. "I… guess I can stay for a little while, then. Scoot over and let me in." Dawnpaw squeezed in beside her friend, surprised at how roomy it was once she cleared the entrance.

"See? It's like a den. I even made a nest here!" He scuttled over to where a clump of frostbitten moss and bracken were piled in a circle in the corner of the den.

Dawnpaw sat down near the entrance, her tail flicking in amusement. "Shouldn't you have been training? You know, instead of making this?"

Cheesepaw shrugged, settling down in the nest. "Brightstep still feels bad for me since I had greencough so bad we had to ask LeafClan for catmint. She'll let me have today off."

"If you ignore your training, you'll never become a warrior. We should go…" She glanced uncomfortably out into the snowy landscape. Dawnpaw stuck her head outside, squeaking when frozen flakes began to rain down onto her.

"It's snowing again!" She shivered, backing further into the den. "We'll get snowed in!"

"No, we won't. But if we leave now, then we'll likely freeze to death before we get to camp. Let's just stay here until it blows over." Cheesepaw padded next to her, pressing his pelt to hers comfortingly.

"But…" Dawnpaw protested weakly. She knew that he was right, and wouldn't let her go out on her own. "Fine…"

Cheesepaw brightened, his tail curling. "It'll be fun! We'll stay warm in here while it's cold out there. We can just talk and no one will interrupt us."

Dawnpaw nodded, watching the snow fall unceremoniously. It was spilling slightly into the den. She sighed and padded over to the nest, flopping down on part of it. Cheesepaw settled down next to her, his rhythmic breathing calming. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

He shrugged, pummeling part of the moss with his paws. "Anything, I guess."

Suddenly, Brokenheart's words came back to her, echoing in her head. Casually, she spoke again. "How about names? What _is_ Cheese, anyway?"

Cheesepaw suddenly looked embarrassed, cleaning his muzzle sheepishly with his paw as he spoke. "You know how Tawnywhisker's my mother, right? Well, my father was a rouge. I never knew his name, and Tawnywhisker refuses to tell me."

"Really?" Dawnpaw's voice betrayed surprise. "I would've never thought you had rouge in you."

He shrugged. "Well, I do, I guess. But my mother told me that Cheese was my father's favorite Twoleg food, a weird, creamy orange chunk that tasted like dulled milk. The Twolegs by the barn would give it to him."

"So you don't even know what you're named after?" Dawnpaw asked curiously, confused. _What does Cheese have to do with actions? Does it mean Cheesepaw's going to become a rouge? Or worse, a kittypet?_

"I'm guessing that it's something made with milk and tasty. Tawnywhisker would never name me after something bad." Cheesepaw mewed with certainty.

"What do you want your warrior name to be?" She asked, rolling over so her belly was exposed. "I want mine to be pretty, but fierce, like Dawnclaw."

"You can't be Dawnclaw." Cheesepaw rolled his eyes. "Only toms get '-claw' as the ending."

"Whatever. Then…what about Dawnsong?" She meowed, in a dreamy tone.

"That's too… medicine cat. Like Twilightsong. Since Dawn and Twilight are both times of the day, it's kind of the same." Cheesepaw explained, pushing Dawnpaw over with his paw. "And I'd want to be called something scary. Like Redscar!"

"But your name's Cheese." Dawnpaw righted herself, stretching.

"I don't want that name anymore. It means nothing to me." He grumbled, lowering himself to the ground and sticking his muzzle under his paws.

"Hmph, well…" Dawnpaw cut herself off as she noticed the clear sky outside. "It's stopped snowing!"


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Dawnpaw padded in from the woods entrance, her jaws laden with fresh-kill. She was following Nightstorm, who also had fresh-kill dangling from his mouth. She felt the stares of her Clanmates hot on her pelt as she dropped a thrush and two mice on the pile. Although she had only been an apprentice for three moons, the whole Clan was impressed on her progress.

"Dawnpaw!" Lilypaw bounded up to her, white stripes shimmering in the greenleaf sun. Then, lowering her voice, she whispered excitedly. "I had another dream!"

Dawnpaw glanced back at Nightstorm. He nodded approval at her and she dashed off to the apprentice's den with Lilypaw. They both sat in their nests and leaned in.

"Tell me all about it!" She meowed, scooting closer to the striped she-cat.

"Well, I appeared in this dark place, like LeafClan's forest. There was moonlight, but no moon! I couldn't tell where it was coming from, and I was looking for it when this white tabby tom walked up to me as casually as if I was his own Clanmate!" Lilypaw's eyes shone with excitement as she retold her tale.

"Really? Did he tell you her name? What did he say? What Clan is he from?" Dawnpaw pressed, feeling as anxious to know about the dream as a queen is to know her kits' genders during a kitting.

"He said his name was Brightmoon, and he also said he was a deputy in RainClan, but that was a long time ago. Dawnpaw, I think he was a StarClan warrior!" Her voice raised in exhilaration and her tail twitched.

"Really? I've visited StarClan, and it was always daytime…" Dawnpaw stared at her friend worriedly. "But what did he tell you?"

"That he'd train me! Things that no other cat in the Clan would know!" Lilypaw's voice lowered to a whisper. "He even introduced me to his two friends. A dark tortoiseshell she-cat named Rosethorn and a small ginger tom named Larkfur. They were scary, but Brightmoon was nice."

Dawnpaw nodded, restraining herself from giving her a suspicious glare. _These cats don't sound trustworthy. I'll give them a moon's time, and see if they show true colors before then. If not, I'll leave Lilypaw be to train._ "What about your live mentor, Tawnywhisker?"

"Oh, well…" She shifted in her nest, glancing down as if she hadn't thought about it. "I'll still train with her, of course, but not as hard. You know, so that I can train with Brightmoon in my dreams."

When Dawnpaw didn't respond, Lilypaw awkwardly continued. "You said you'd seen StarClan grounds. Who was your warrior?"

"Um…" Now it was Dawnpaw's turn to be awkward. Her blue eyes flashed with uncertainty at revealing the answer to her friend. "I-It's not actually a warrior, it's… a medicine cat. Twilightsong's mentor, Brokenheart."

The black she-cat braced herself for Lilypaw to make fun of her, but only a gasp of amazement came from the apprentice. "A _medicine cat_? Does that mean you're going to have to be a medicine cat?"

She shook her head quickly. "I asked that too, but she said I don't have to. That's not where my destiny lies. And I could never bear to treat wounds all day instead of hunt and fight alongside my warrior friends. I don't know how Fernclaw stands it, honestly."

Lilypaw nodded in understanding, her green eyes flashing. "I'm disgusted by infections, too. But what did she tell _you_? What does StarClan's grounds look like to you?"

"It's always the same; waterfall near a forest in greenleaf, lush undergrowth and grass. Usually midday, if not early morning." She recited by memory, a vision of the magical place forming in front of her as easily as if she were there now. Her blue eyes grew dreamy. "She's very kind, just like Brightmoon is to you. The only other cat I've seen there was her mentor, Milktail."

"Yes, yes, that's all fascinating. But what has she said to you? Brightmoon told me ' _Light rises where dawn falls.'_ Has Brokenheart told you anything like that?" Lilypaw meowed, kneading the moss of her nest anxiously.

"Yes, actually..." Dawnpaw struggled to remember the ominous words. "' _One of your own Clan will betray, but they will plot in secret. Names mean nothing without actions'_."

"Wow…" Lilypaw gazed off into the distance in thought. "Do you think they're prophecies?"

Dawnpaw shrugged, her pelt growing hot with embarrassment. "Probably not. What would StarClan want with two apprentices? They probably mean nothing."

"But what if they _were_ prophecies?" Lilypaw began to get carried away, getting up and pacing the den. "They could be linked in some way…"

Dawnpaw sighed and shook her head as the she-cat passed her, mumbling. "Don't think about it too much. That'll just distract you, and nothing good can come along with that."

A wail pierced the night, startling Dawnpaw out of a delightful dream. _What is it now? I almost had that mouse…_

"Calm down, Cheesepaw." Brightstep spoke quietly. "We're almost to the medicine cat den."

Dawnpaw noticed Bramblepaw's green eyes staring from the corner of the den, eyes wide. She nodded towards the entrance, getting up and padding over. Quietly, she stuck her head out and glanced around. Cheesepaw was limping toward the medicine cat den, leaning heavily against his mentor.

"It's gone!" The orange apprentice cried, sorrow choking his voice. Brightstep swished her cream tail over Cheesepaw's mouth, leading him into the den.

Dawnpaw looked around the camp. Tawnywhisker, Adderfang, and Hickoryleaf were peering out of the warrior's den, their eyes focused on the medicine cat's den. Meanwhile, Riverstar was rushing towards it.

At the entrance of the camp, Cinderpaw stood with an evil look on his face, tail swishing through the air. Red stained his muzzle. Badgerstrike was striding towards him with hackles raised. She seemed to be the only one noticing the trail of blood from the camp entrance to the medicine cat den.

"What happened?" Bramblepaw mewed quietly, staying behind her. She flicked her tail.

"I…I'm not sure. I'll be right back." She ran out into the clearing, making a beeline for the rock where the medicine cats worked. Scraping her claws on the stone in warning, Dawnpaw entered the roomy den.

"What…" She didn't get to finish her sentence, mouth gaping when she saw Cheesepaw. He lay, unconscious, on the stone floor. Blood pooled at his now half-tail, the once shiny ginger fur matted. His chest barely rose, falling with shallow breaths.

"I don't know." Brightstep responded hastily, pacing the room. "I found him and Cinderpaw training in the woods by Twolegplace. They froze when they saw me. Cinderpaw had his jaws around Cheesepaw's tail… and… and… he just bit down."

"Are you sure it wasn't in fright or surprise?" Twilightsong asked, pressing moist moss onto the apprentice's stump tail.

"I don't know." The cream warrior repeated. Fernclaw shoved a few small, rounded leaves in front of Brightstep. "What are these?"

"Thyme. For shock." Fernclaw answered. Twilightsong slipped past her and grabbed a bundle of herbs in her teeth, before moving back to her patient.

Brightstep shakily choked down the leaves. Taking a deep breath, she continued, focusing her gaze on Dawnpaw. "I didn't think they'd be mouse-brained enough to fight with claws and teeth. Cinderpaw had a few scratches on him, but I think we both know who got the short end of the stick here…"

Dawnpaw nodded seriously before turning towards Twilightsong. "Will he be alright?"

"I don't know. He's in the paws of StarClan now." The medicine cat mumbled. "How unfortunate. Greencough, and now a stump of a tail…"

"Where's the rest of it?" Fernclaw meowed. Her brown eyes were full of worry.

"Probably in the forest." Badgerstrike interjected. He was sitting just outside the den, black eyes narrowed. "Brightstep, I'm sorry for what my apprentice did."

"You don't need to apologize. It's that… that fox-heart of a cat who should apologize. Cheesepaw will be living with a bad sense of balance forever!" Brightstep voice ended in a distressed wail.

"Now, now, calm down, Brightstep. It could have very well been an accident. You did sneak up on them, as you said." Fernclaw said to the upset warrior.

"Are you taking _his_ side?" Brightstep asked accusingly, her tail flicking dangerously. Fernclaw shook her head calmly.

"This isn't a matter of sides until we have the full story from both Cheesepaw and Cinderpaw." Then, turning to Badgerstrike, she spoke again. "Can you ask Riverstar to have a word with Cinderpaw? Now?"

The large tom nodded before walking out of the den. Brightstep had stopped pacing. "What do we do now? Just wait?"

Twilightsong sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. There's not more I can do, nor Fernclaw or any other cat. If he makes it to morning, then we know he'll live. Until then, we'll have to see if blood loss or infection get to him before StarClan can help."

She turned to Dawnpaw, speaking in a hushed tone. "Make sure that Brightstep sleeps tonight. Guide her back to the warrior's den, if you would. I'm sure the cats there will know what to do."

Dawnpaw nodded. Before leaving, she padded over to the sickly yellow tom lying on the floor. She knelt down and licked her friend between the ears sadly. With no ability to do anything else, she slowly began to make her way out of medicine cat's den and towards the warrior's den.

Brightstep followed quietly. Twistertail was sitting outside of the nursery as they passed, a worried look shared with her kits huddled behind her flank. "Are you two going to be alright for the night?"

"Don't worry about me, Twistertail. I'll be fine. I'm a full grown she-cat warrior, remember? The one you should worry about is my poor apprentice, lying still on the floor of the medicine cat den while the rest of us are powerless to help." Brightstep gave the queen a weak smile before ducking into the warrior's den.

"What about you? This must be really bad for you, after Sharptongue…" Twistertail cast a glance towards the elder's den, where the wounded she-cat now resided.

Dawnpaw felt a surge of anger boiling in her belly when Twistertail mentioned her old mentor, but she squashed it before anything terrible could come out of her mouth. Instead, she forced a quiet tone while staring into the queen's large green eyes. "I'll be okay, just worried. I hope he'll be alright. I have to sleep, though, if I can get any. Thank you for your concern."

The apprentice dipped her head in respect and padded slowly to the apprentice's den, weariness tugging at her small black paws. Barely did she plop down into her nest before the relief of sleep overtook her mind.

Almost instantly, though, she began dreaming. Dawnpaw woke up in the sunny grounds of StarClan, struggling to her paws. There was no cat around anywhere. Instead of her usual place where she met Brokenheart, she had awoken in a humid forest where dew clung to her pelt like a needy kit.

A cry of triumph sounded nearby, obscuring the prey scuttling around in the dense undergrowth. The voice was very familiar. Dawnpaw's heart jumped in her throat when she recognized it. _Cheesepaw!_

She bolted off into the forest, her paws thudding on the slick ground. Barely did she realize where she was going. Soon, the tall trees had melted away into a swift river, dozens of fox-lengths across. With a gasp, Dawnpaw stumbled backwards.

"Hi, Dawnpaw. What's up?" Cheesepaw's muffled but cheerful tone drifted towards her. She turned to see the yellow apprentice drop down from a tree bordering the river, a crow hanging out of his mouth. "I got a mouse and a fish too, but it's over there."

"Cheesepaw! What are you doing?!" The black she-cat exclaimed, trying to figure out whether she was upset or happy to see him.

"Hunting…What does it look like?" He tilted his head in confusion, setting down the crow.

Dawnpaw cuffed his ear with her claws sheathed. "I mean, what are you doing _here_? Don't you know where you are?"

"Um…" He glanced around, his still-long tail swishing in confusion. "It looks like a river near a forest."

"StarClan, you mouse-brain! You're in StarClan!" She stared at him, disbelief lingering in her blue eyes.

"S-StarClan?" Cheesepaw squeaked. "Does that mean I'm _dead_?"

Dawnpaw let out a sigh. "I…I don't know. You don't _look_ like a StarClan cat, but maybe the starry, shimmery effect doesn't appear until after you've been dead for a while. Do you feel dead?"

He carefully lifted each paw and gave himself a thorough look-over before responding. "No…But how would I know if I 'feel' dead?"

"I don't know…" She murmured. _What if he_ is _dead? What would I tell Stormpaw? Or Brightstep?_

"I like it here, though." Cheesepaw sat on the bank of the river. "It's warm, and there's plenty of prey. You should hunt with me!"

Dawnpaw shook her head firmly. "Neither of us belong in StarClan. I'm not dead, and you aren't either."

"But, what if I am? You can't just deny it…" He gave her a soft look, sympathy rooted deep in his gaze.

"You're not dead!" Dawnpaw shrieked. Getting to her paws, she turned and hared it through the woods blindly, forcing herself not to feel any emotion.

 _He's dead._ A tiny voice whispered in Dawnpaw's mind as she slowed. _He's dead and you never even said goodbye. You're a heartless fox._ She shook her head and ran, urging her paws to get moving again.

"Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw, wake up! You're kicking me!" Brownpaw hissed, batting at her foot. Her eyes flew open, the icy blue piercing Brownpaw's gaze.

"Whoa…Are you okay?" He leaned down and stared at her.

"I'm fine… just had a bad dream, okay?" She stood and shook her pelt, rushing out of the apprentice's den. It was just barely dawn, as the patrol's scents still lingered by the entrance. She peered around the clearing.

Twistertail lay just outside of the nursery, Thunderkit and Dustkit wrestling beside her as she groomed. A half-eaten starling was strewn across the snow beside her. The queen lifted her head and began to reprimand the two kits about finishing the prey they started.

In the frosted training patch, Bramblepaw was practicing a battle move they had learned two sunrises ago by himself. Since he hadn't been able to get the twist-and-duck part right, he had been training ever since to get it right. Again and again he tried, getting it nearly perfect each time, but still not satisfied as he started over once more.

Dawnpaw's belly squelched with hunger. She made her way to the measly fresh-kill pile, picking up a small mouse. As she sat beside the apprentice's den, she saw Cinderpaw duck out of it and saunter towards Riverstar's den, his tail held high. A growl formed in her throat, her claws digging into the snow.

She bit into the frozen mouse angrily, chewing the tough meat. Her thoughts wandered towards Cheesepaw as she ate. _Will he get behind on his training? Will he ever recover?_ A jolt of guilt flashed through her.

Shaking away her guilt, she got up. Dawnpaw unwillingly padded towards the medicine cat den. She poked her head in, adjusting her eyes to the darkness. Twilightsong glanced up when she entered and waved her over with her dappled tail.

Dawnpaw stepped in. "Is he… okay?" She choked out the words, urging herself to stay calm.

Twilightsong nodded stiffly. "Fernclaw is out collecting the little herbs we can find in leaf-bare so we can re-do the bandage. He hasn't woken up yet, though, and that's what's worrying me. Usually patients would need poppy seeds to sleep properly, but he doesn't seem the least bit troubled anymore."

"I-is he gonna die?" Dawnpaw whispered, plopping down beside her yellow friend. "I saw him in StarClan."

Twilightsong's head shot up, her green eyes blazing. "What did he look like? Where were you? Did he give any signs of being dead? Did you speak to him?"

"I…um…he looked normal, but his tail was still long. No starry look to his fur yet. We were by this fast river, in a forest. No, no signs of being dead. I did speak to him, and he was normal. Had no idea he was in StarClan." Dawnpaw numbered off the answers, pressing her flank against Cheesepaw's. She could feel his heartbeat through his pelt, strong and quick.

The tortoiseshell let out a relieved sigh. "It sounds as if it was a temporary visit. He would've known if he was to die. A StarClan cat would welcome him before anything else."

"Is there anything else he needs?" The small she-cat was eager to get the topic off death. "I'd be happy to get it before I start training."

Twilightsong looked thoughtful. "Would you mind getting some fresh cobwebs? There should be some just outside the camp."

Dawnpaw nodded and lightly groomed Cheesepaw's fur before standing and racing out into the clearing, her paws cracking the frosted grass. As newleaf edged closer, the melting snow was being replaced by frost in the early mornings.

The black cat breathed in the cold air, enjoying the renewed feeling in her lungs. She slowed as she neared the woods exit, stepping around patches of ice made by puddles. As the medicine cat had predicted, sparkling cobwebs were strung around low branches. Dawnpaw stepped toward a vacant one and, claws sheathed, whipped her paw through it. The sticky residue clung to her fur easily.

She collected more until her paw was white with webs. Only then did she hobble back into camp, heading straight towards the medicine cat's den. Fernclaw met her outside. "Are those for Cheesepaw? Great, thanks! I'll help get those off."

Fernclaw began to unravel them carefully using her teeth. Dawnpaw shook out her pelt when she had finished with a shiver. "Ugh! I hate spiders…"

The medicine cat apprentice gave her a sympathetic nod. "Alright, that's all we'll need for now. Go ahead and see your mentor, I'm sure he'll want you back for training."

Dawnpaw dipped her head respectfully and turned away. Brownpaw was walking towards the training patch with Hickoryleaf, and Bramblepaw with Berrycloud. She looked towards the warrior's den and saw Nightstorm emerging through the entrance.

"Do I go with them?" She called towards her mentor. He shook his head.

"We're going into the forest again, but with Lilypaw and Tawnywhisker this time. You two work well together, so we're going to be doing team battling." Nightstorm meowed as he fell in step with her. Together they strolled into the forest, their pelts brushing occasionally. "They'll meet us there…"


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter **Eight**

Dawnpaw reared up on her hind legs, muscles straining. Lilypaw's soft pelt pressed against hers as their paws battered at the air in front of them. Dropping down simultaneously, the two apprentices circled around. Lilypaw let out a convincing hiss, digging her claws into the soft grass.

"Good job." Tawnywhisker meowed stiffly with a nod. She had always been a stickler with praise. The two calmed instantly and stood regularly.

"Are we going to have our assessments soon? We've been apprentices forever!" Lilypaw groaned, stretching her forepaws. Dawnpaw nodded enthusiastically in agreement and bounded towards her mentor.

"Come _on_ , Nightstorm! When is it going to be? Soon, right?" She flicked her black tail in excitement. "The Gathering is going to be soon. Surely we'll be going to it as warriors…"

Nightstorm shook his head, his dark eyes glinting in amusement. "I don't know. Riverstar hasn't given anything away. But as soon as I know, I'll tell you."

"But Cinderoak and Stormfur had theirs _ages_ ago!" Lilypaw protested, paws battering the ground in impatience. Nightstorm chuckled.

"It was less than four sunrises ago. Like I said, you'd have to ask Riverstar if you want to know for sure." The black tom began to walk back towards camp, Tawnywhisker on his tail. Lilypaw and Dawnpaw hung back, buzzing with excitement.

"It has to be soon!" Lilypaw whispered, her eyes glimmering. "Brightmoon has been training with me extra-hard, and told me that it's almost time!"

"Really?" Dawnpaw tried to sound happy for her friend, but suspicion nearly crept its way into her voice. _I still don't trust those cats,_ she thought bitterly, _I've seen the marks they've left on her._

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Lilypaw cocked her head. "I've not gotten hurt worse than I would in a battle."

"You've bled all over your nest!" She exclaimed, stopping walking to glare at the apprentice. Their mentors were already a safe distance ahead. "I've tried not to say this, but I don't trust them. Claws aren't supposed to be used when training. Are you sure he's _really_ what he says he is?"

The striped she cat was taken aback by Dawnpaw's caustic words. She regained herself and hissed angrily. "How dare you! He's a better friend than you ever were, even if it means he trains with tooth and claw! The warrior code isn't _everything_ , you know!"

"Brightmoon is _bad_!" The black apprentice's voice became desperate. "Please, Lilypaw. I don't want you to get hurt."

Lilypaw's expression wavered, as if she was considering which would be better, if she answered angrily or kindly. Finally, she chose. "You think you're so great, Dawnpaw. But I can look after my _self_ , thank you. Just because I'm not afraid of getting a little blood under my claws or getting a tear in my pelt just proves that I'm not a goody-goody like you who moons over her own mentor."

Dawnpaw gasped, a knot of sadness clumping in her throat. Lilypaw glared at her and showed her sharp teeth before stalking away. The apprentice stood there, stunned, a beaten expression on her face as she stared after her former friend.

Slowly, she began to pad back to camp. Her paws ached with every step, the pain shooting through her legs and towards her heart. _Never had she ever spoken to me like that…_ Dawnpaw allowed herself to go back and rethink what she did wrong.

She walked blindly through the forest. The scene of angry Lilypaw flashed in front of her again and again. The black she-cat attempted to pick at every detail, even if it pained her to do so. She had to know what the problem was.

Suddenly, she halted. Something she hadn't noticed jumped out at her. _Lilypaw's eyes… they're not blue! But I know whose eyes are…_ Dawnpaw stared, wide-eyed, into the forest. _Brightmoon!_

Her paws set on the path to camp, she ran full-pelt. When she met with the entrance, she slowed, but only so that she didn't alarm anyone inside. Eyes scanning the grassy clearing, she searched for Lilypaw. Not anywhere that she could see.

 _The apprentice's den!_ She took a deep breath before walking towards the den, urging herself to calm down. When she entered, she saw Cheesepaw asleep in his nest, alongside Lilypaw, who was staring at the wall. Her eyes shot up when Dawnpaw stepped inside.

"What do you want?" She asked aggressively, sinking her claws into her nest.

"Your eyes were blue…" Dawnpaw mumbled blatantly, trying to work out an explanation that made enough sense.

Lilypaw shook her head. "My eyes are _green_ , mouse-brain."

"Not when we were arguing." The black she-cat meowed calmly. "Your eyes may be green, but Brightmoon's are blue."

"What's your point?" She asked hesitantly, looking up at the other apprentice. "We have different colored eyes?"

"No." Dawnpaw sat down on her own nest and meeting Lilypaw's gaze seriously. "Brightmoon was controlling you. I know you, and there's no way you would've said those things yourself."

"Maybe I would've." Lilypaw growled, her tone turning hostile again. "Are you saying I can't stand up for myself?"

"I'm saying that Brightmoon isn't good. I don't know where he came from or how he managed to control you, but this could become incredibly dangerous." Dawnpaw meowed grimly. "I need to know more about Brightmoon."

"Uh, well… He talks a lot about how he wants revenge on a cat that killed his mother, and how he wished he was alive again." Lilypaw said uncertainly, watching the apprentice in confusion.

"What was the cat's name? Tom or she-cat? What Clan?"

"Um, I think something like Grasswind? A she-cat, I think. And…LeafClan?" Lilypaw tried hard to remember. "Why?"

"Just in case." Dawnpaw nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry if I insulted you."

With that, she left the den. Her paws quickly took her towards the first place she saw, the fresh-kill pile. It was a mildly warm after sunhigh, so the pile was stocked with different types of prey. The weather beginning to warm had drawn many animals out of their dens to get some sun.

Although she wasn't that hungry, Dawnpaw took a small shrew out from the pile and looked around. Cinderoak crouched in part of the clearing, finishing up his prey. She ruled him out. Meanwhile, Sharptongue lay outside the elder's den calmly grooming her tortoiseshell fur. The scar down her stomach was visible, an angry red against the pale pink of her skin.

The apprentice picked up another shrew in her mouth and padded over to Sharptongue. The she-cat looked up when she set the shrew in front of her, nodding in thanks. Dawnpaw settled beside her, tucking in her paws as she leaned down to take a bite.

"How's training?" Sharptongue asked. Her remaining fur was now shiny, the ginger, cream, and black patches glowing in the sunlight.

Dawnpaw swallowed. "It's good. Lilypaw and I learned dual-battling this morning, you know, to fight foxes or multiple cats at once."

The scarred she-cat nodded and made a satisfied noise. Even though she was no longer the black apprentice's mentor, Sharptongue still made an effort to know what she was learning. "Have you learned the FireClan special yet?"

"The FireClan special?" Dawnpaw tilted her head quizzically at the older cat.

"Ah, I see. It's usually the last thing an apprentice learns before becoming a warrior. A very valuable thing to know, too." Sharptongue meowed, her eyes glowing in nostalgia.

"What is it?" The young she-cat scooted closer to her friend.

The tortoiseshell only winked at her. "That's a secret until you learn it. No doubt you've seen other warriors use it in training, though. Just not recognizing that it's special."

Dawnpaw groaned, but didn't pressure her more. It was useless to try to get anything out of Sharptongue. Instead, after a bite of shrew, she changed the subject. "Why do you think you have your name how it is?"

Sharptongue was silent for a few moments, contemplating. "Well…" She began. "My father told me I was originally named after my claws. He always said that when we kits would tussle, I would send them to the medicine cat den to get their scrapes fixed up. But I guess, as I learned more and more, I became quick at comebacks. Whenever some cat was to get something wrong, I was always the first to point it out."

"Do you like your name?" Dawnpaw mewed and, gazing around the camp, wondered who Sharptongue's father was.

"I do. It brings me pride and shows I know how to talk my way out of something, especially if it can be done without a fight. I always felt it was easier to work out an issue with words than teeth and claws. I still do." There was a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

The apprentice listened quietly and finished up her shrew. After the final swallow, she nodded. _What else do I not know about her?_

"What do you think my name will be?" Dawnpaw asked quietly, pushing the remains of her shrew to the side.

Sharptongue cast a thoughtful glance at the sky. "Dawnleaf or Dawnrise sound nice..."

Dawnpaw nodded enthusiastically, but the names sounded hollow to her, as if they belonged to another cat. Sharptongue shifted her gaze to the apprentice after listing off a few more. "Why? What do you want it to be?"

"I don't care what it is, as long as I feel it fits me." She puffed out her chest in pride. "I want it to feel like it's _me_ , from the start."

The tortoiseshell mewled in laughter. "You're beginning to sound like a tom-kit!"

Dawnpaw looked at the ground in embarrassment, but Sharptongue continued. "Even if it seems weird at the beginning, that's just because it takes a bit of getting used to. It's hard to think of yourself with a different name."

The black she-cat nodded, unconvinced. She looked back up and got to her paws. "Well, thank you for letting me eat with you and answering my questions, Sharptongue."

"Any time." Sharptongue gave her a smile, flicking her ear in appreciation.

Dawnpaw scanned the clearing. Cinderoak was walking towards her, a defiant look on his face. She turned away and made for the woods entrance, quickening her pawsteps. As soon as she was into the woods, though, a blurry grey shape bowled her over and pinning her to the ground.

She tried to yowl, but Cinderoak pressed his paw to the back of her head, pushing her jaw against the dirt. Dawnpaw just barely managed to mutter out, "What do you want?"

"Get out of our camp, _kittypet_." He growled, pressing down harder with his paw. She was thankful he didn't unsheathe his claws. "You're going to destroy the Clan. I know you want to be Riverstar's favorite, and in turn earn every cat's trust, but I won't let you."

"Wha-" Dawnpaw mewled pathetically in pain as Cinderoak scratched the base of her tail with his back claws.

"Oh, and I know about Mintstripe. I bet you're going to betray the Clan to be with him, huh?" He hissed accusingly.

"I-I'm not…" She grimaced as she felt blood trickle down her side from her tail.

"What about poor Nightstorm, hm? He'll just be _so_ heartbroken when he finds out his sweet little apprentice mate is having kits with a _LeafClan_ warrior." Cinderoak snarled, hatred brimming in his voice.

A growl rose in Dawnpaw's throat as soon as Nightstorm's name came up. She lifted up her hind end, then her front quickly, throwing Cinderoak off balance. As he struggled to grab on, his claws left ridges in her fur. She hissed and shook him off.

He toppled to the ground, standing up shakily. As soon as he stood, Dawnpaw ran. Her paws pounded the ground as she sprinted, full-pelt, further into the woods. Her tail bled and screamed for her to stop.

 _He's still following me…_ She noticed after a long multi-dozen moments. Her heart beat faster as the thundering pawsteps and breaking branches got closer. Dawnpaw rounded a corner, eyes darting around to find an escape.

Her breath caught in her throat. _The den Cheesepaw and I hid in!_ She saw it out of the corner of her eye, hidden in some underbrush. With a sudden rush of energy, she tumbled into the ferns and down the tunnel into the den. She landed and began to roll in the dirt, desperate to hide her scent.

Dawnpaw stopped, her fur rising as she heard pawsteps outside. They were quickened, and she recognized Cinderoak's scent. She froze and stood as still as possible.

"Where did that mange-fur go…" He growled. Heartbeats later, his pawsteps continued on. Dawnpaw let out a silent, relieved sigh.

She stayed in the den for a long while after, hoping that Cinderoak gave up his search for her. As she began to exit, pawsteps approached. Dawnpaw stopped.

"Dawnpaw? Is that you?" Twilightsong stuck her head in the den, a worried expression on her face. "What are you doing in here?"

"Cinderoak was chasing me…" Her words sounded odd to her, as if they were spoken far away. "I didn't wanna get caught."

"Is that blood on your fur?" Twilightsong moved back so that she could come out and began to investigate the apprentice's back. "Did Cinderoak do this?"

Dawnpaw nodded miserably, her tail stinging. She had spent so much time stationary that it hurt to move now. "I tried not to fight back, so I ran."

"Oh, dear…Let's go back to camp. I need to patch this up as soon as I can so it doesn't get infected." Twilightsong rested her tail on Dawnpaw's back, guiding the younger cat. "Thank StarClan it wasn't any worse…"

"It's bad enough." Dawnpaw grimaced as her tail hit a branch, twisting it awkwardly. It being dragged on the ground behind her. "I don't know what he has against me. I'm not and never was a kittypet."

The medicine cat sighed, leading the black she-cat through the trees. The sun was setting overhead, casting an eerie glare around the woods and setting the underbrush ablaze with its last rays. "After I bandage your tail, I want you to go straight back to your nest and sleep."

Dawnpaw nodded, unwilling to argue. She was led back to camp in a daze and hardly noticed the confused glances from the warriors sharing tongues by their den. Straight into the medicine den she went, lying on the floor. Pain shot through her rump as she moved.

"What happened?" Fernclaw glanced down at the injured apprentice. Dawnpaw closed her eyes.

"A cat attacked her, so she ran and hid." Twilightsong mewed blatantly, already mixing herbs to apply to her wound. Dawnpaw blinked sleepily, her head spinning. Fernclaw's paws went in and out of focus. Finally, the black apprentice slipped into a quiet darkness.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Dawnpaw watched from the entrance of the medicine cat den as Riverstar called a Clan meeting. It had been two sunrises since Cinderoak's attack. The sun beat down on the clearing, making it the warmest day in moons. Newleaf was almost upon them and Dawnpaw was certain that she'd get her final assessment soon.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting around TallOak." Riverstar's yowl met all the corners of the camp, pulling cats from their dens and tongue-sharing to swarm around the large tree. The grey she-cat looked regal sitting on the jutted out branch, but she also looked very aged. Dawnpaw wondered how many lives she had left.

As soon as almost all of the Clan had settled, Riverstar began to speak in a serious tone. "Although we have had a fortunate few seasons without battles, there has been a cat among us who seems to seek it wherever he can."

Sharp mutters rose from the crowd as every cat looked over their shoulder in search for the cat. Meanwhile, their leader wasn't fazed. "Because of these traitorous acts, I must call upon three trusted warriors to escort the new rouge outside of our borders."

Several cats cried out things such as "Which one of us is it!" and "They deserve death!" Riverstar cast a sharp glance at the Clan while beginning to speak again. "Berrycloud, Adderfang, and Brokenstem, would you please companion Cinderoak to the border?"

Gasps came from assorted cats as the grey tom thrust his way out of the crowd and straight into where the three warriors were waiting. Without hesitation, all four took off through the main entrance. Riverstar watched them go before sighing. "While it is sad to watch a warrior go, I'm afraid it really _is_ necessary. Cinderoak has attacked two of his own Clanmates, injuring both. Thank StarClan they're alright now."

When the Clan stayed silent, the grey leader nodded. "Clan dismissed."

Dawnpaw stepped out of the shadows, ruffling her black pelt in the sun while Cheesepaw approached her. She glanced up at him. "Is there something you need?"

"This is all _your_ fault, isn't it? If you'd just fought him the other day then maybe Cinderoak wouldn't be banished by now." The orange apprentice hissed accusingly, lashing his tail.

"Wait, you're mad at _me_ for this? He bit off your tail!" Dawnpaw asked in a bewildered tone.

"Yeah, because we were battling! He said that it wouldn't be no claws or fangs in a _real_ fight, so I agreed to fight him. It's my fault for agreeing, if anyone!" The tom looked angrier than Dawnpaw had ever seen him.

"I-I'm sorry? When I told Twilightsong he was chasing me, I didn't know she would tell Riverstar, or that I would get him banished!" The black she-cat struggled to explain herself. She almost guilty, as if she actually _had_ done something wrong.

Cheesepaw stalked off angrily towards the apprentice's den. Dawnpaw stood there silently, contemplating whether she should follow him or ask Nightstorm for some training to get her mind off of it.

Finally, she made her decision. She padded towards the warrior's den and poked her head in. Nightstorm was curled in a nest near her, the tip of his tail flicking as he slept. Dawnpaw poked him with her paw gently. The tom didn't move a whisker.

The apprentice leaned down and whispered his name in his ear, trying to get his attention and wake him up. Still, there was no movement. She swatted his ear. Nothing. With a sigh, she moved down and bit his scruff, just barely scraping his skin with her teeth. All she got was a mouthful of his fur.

Dawnpaw backed up, crouching down. Then, with a mighty leap, she pounced on him, almost immediately rolling off. Nightstorm woke with a start and jumped up. His surprised look met her playful one. "Land sakes alive, Dawnpaw! What is it that's so urgent you had to jump on me?"

The black she-cat got to her paws. "I want to train more. Isn't there something you can teach me?" She tilted her head and stared up at him with wide blue eyes.

Nightstorm sighed. "I guess there is one thing I could teach you how to do. But I don't know if you could handle it yet…"

The apprentice nodded enthusiastically, her paws drumming on the ground as she shifted from side to side quickly. "Whatever it is, trust me, I can do it!"

The black tom stepped out of the den and into the bright sunlight. "Oh, alright, but I guess I should tell you what it's called first. Ever heard of the FireClan special?"

Dawnpaw nearly fell to the ground. _The FireClan special? That means I'm going to be a warrior!_ She could hardly contain her excitement as she nodded. Nightstorm glanced back and chuckled. "I bet Sharptongue told you. She always was prone to excite the cats younger than her with tales."

The black apprentice skipped along beside her mentor as they went deeper into the woods, at their normal training space. The small clearing was dotted with fern and bracken clumps, blackberry bushes, and new catmint sprouts. Nightstorm had told Twilightsong about them, and then had to promise that they would be extra careful to not trample them.

Dawnpaw stood off to the side and watched her mentor prepare himself. He crouched, swiped with his paw, then twisted his body. He rolled over and landed on his paws, immediately reared up on his hind legs, pawing at the air in front of him. The apprentice was amazed at his speed and agility.

"How'd you _do_ that?" Her blue eyes were round in expectation, staring up at her mentor eagerly. Nightstorm stood regularly and arched his back in a stretch before answering.

"It's simple once you get the hang of it. Here, let me walk you through it…"

Dawnpaw hissed in frustration as her body thumped onto the dirt once again. _Foxdung! I just can't get it right!_ With an angry sigh, she righted herself and crouched down. Nightstorm was being very patient, walking her through every step and making sure she perfected it before moving on. Right now, though, she was stuck at the twist-roll.

The black she-cat turned half of her body, forcing her back onto the ground. As every time before, her back paws scrambled for a hold. She ended up on her side. Her mentor peered down at her. "Try digging your claws into the ground as soon as your paws hit the ground."

Dawnpaw got back into the starting position, turning her rump and rolling. Surprisingly, when her claws sunk into the dirt, they held just fine, and she made a shaky recovery. The apprentice stood and glanced up at her mentor, eyes shining in happiness. He nodded in approval. "Want to try the next move?"

When she nodded, the tom got down in a crouch. Nightstorm glared at the emptiness in front of him and twist-rolled, landing square on his paws. "This next part is what you'll want to try."

He stood on his hind paws, balancing well. With a snarl, he swiped out with both paws and flexed his claws. Just as quick as he had gotten up on his hind legs, he descended, landing on the ground calmly. The black tom turned his head to his apprentice and smiled. "Do you think you can do that?"

Visibly apprehensive, the she-cat shifted her weight from paw to paw. Nightstorm moved back before meeting Dawnpaw's gaze.

"You'll do great; it just takes practice. Go on, try it." He nodded towards the patchy ground in front of him. The apprentice weighed her options, but eventually took place.

Dawnpaw took a deep breath, readying herself. She carefully re-did the twist roll and managed to land on her paws. Rearing up, she let out a hiss. Her claws sliced through the air as she struggled to maintain her balance, wavering every few heartbeats.

Finally, after a few more paw waves, she returned to the dirt. A rush of exhilaration ran through her as her paws hit the ground. Dawnpaw glanced back at her mentor. "Did I do it right?"

"That was great, actually. You pretty much nailed it. Not too bad for a first timer." Nightstorm walked to her side, his tail brushing her spine with affection. "Want to go back to camp and get something to eat, or do you want to hunt?"

"Can we hunt tomorrow? I'm pretty tired already." Dawnpaw stretched, arching her back and yawning. "Besides, the sun will go down anytime now."

As they walked back to camp, the young cat watched through the spindly trees as the shadows shifted, a golden haze spreading throughout the forest and spilling onto the plains. The whole set was enchanting, as if she had stepped straight into a kit's tale told by a nursing mother. She felt safe and happy with her mentor's scent wafted into her nose, unaware of the blissful feeling spreading through Dawnpaw. She felt as if she was connecting to all the good things in life.

But as soon as the feeling had flooded over her, it was gone. She sighed as the pair reached the camp entrance. _What if Cheesepaw and Lilypaw are still mad at me?_

"Dawnpaw?" Nightstorm's voice brought her back. He was gazing at her, his eyes soft in concern. "You didn't respond when Bramblepaw called out to you. Is everything alright?"

"I, uh, yeah. I'm fine." Quickly changing the subject, she padded over to the fresh-kill pile. "What do you want?"

Her mentor appeared next to her, picking up a large sparrow and speaking through the feathers. "Want to share this? It's big enough for the both of us."

Dawnpaw nodded, following him to a grassy spot near the training sand. The black tom settled down and flicked his tail to the spot beside him, motioning for her to lay down. When she did, he positioned the sparrow between them.

"Alright, what's the problem?" Nightstorm stared at her suspiciously.

The black she-cat shifted her paws so they were tucked under her chest and looked down, shrugging. Her mentor only pressed further. "Come on, I know there's something. Out in the forest you seem so casual, not a care in the world, but in camp you're all locked up. What's going on?"

"…It's a long story…" Dawnpaw sighed, her appetite suddenly disappearing. "I don't know if I want to talk about it."

"Well, I hate to be one of _those_ mentors, but if you don't want to tell anyone and keep it all cooped up, you may have problems being a warrior." Nightstorm meowed quietly, looking around at anything _but_ Dawnpaw.

She slowly got to her paws. "I'm gonna go rest. I'll eat when I wake up."

Even though her mentor called out for her to stay, Dawnpaw trudged to the apprentice's den. She lay down in the dark in her nest, curling up and staying that way until sleep took her.

A muzzle nudged Dawnpaw awake. She groaned, blinking open her eyes slowly. "What is it…?"

"Come on, it's time for the dawn patrol." Stormfur's voice met her ears, surprisingly quiet. Maybe it was just because it was early. The black she-cat stood and stretched before following the warrior out of the den. Brightstep and Cheesepaw were waiting for them, the orange apprentice looking as groggy as she.

They set off, the Dawnpaw avoiding the other apprentice as much as a hare would a fox. Which, wasn't hard, considering that Cheesepaw was content on doing the same. As the group trudged through the scrawny woods and grassy plains, they stayed silent, except for the occasional question on where to mark this time.

Once they had finished marking, the rest of the group set trail back for camp. Dawnpaw hung back awkwardly, shifting her paws as she flipped between the decision to stay and hunt or to go back to camp and train with Nightstorm. She looked up to see Cheesepaw approaching her. His eyes were gazing around, trying to find anything other than his friend to look at.

"Dawnpaw? I'm sorry I got cross with you earlier…" His apology was quiet, as if he was embarrassed to speak to her.

"It's alright. I guess I kind of deserved it." The black she-cat shrugged. Cheesepaw shook his orange, furry head.

"No, you didn't. I was just being a foxheart, all caught up in the drama." When she didn't respond, he glanced up. "Uh… do you…want to train together?"

Dawnpaw shrugged again, but still followed him when he began to pad back to camp. "I'll ask Nightstorm." She meowed. "I'm not sure what we're doing today."

The pair strolled through their Clan's territory, ignoring prey scuttles in the underbrush as they passed. Sun beat down on both of them and they stopped for a drink of water at the fast-flowing river's banks outside of camp before entering.

What greeted them was a crowd of cats circled around TallOak, where Riverstar stopped her speaking when the two apprentices walked in. They expected to be reprimanded for missing what she had said, but instead, she smiled at them. "Come on in, we were about to start your warrior ceremonies."

Cheesepaw and Dawnpaw shared excited glances. All traces of their past argument gone, they trotted together and took their places on the low branches beside Bramblepaw and Brownpaw. All four were buzzing as their leader went through the pre-warrior speech that was lost to them. In one ear and out the other for each awaiting apprentice…


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Berrycloud, are you satisfied that this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?" Riverstar asked her deputy regally, gazing down.

"Many times over." The old cat replied and nodded his head. His pelt was drenched, so Dawnpaw guessed he had just gone for a swim.

"I, Riverstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Bramblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" The leader meowed, turning her gaze to the tawny tom below her.

"I do." Bramblepaw puffed out his chest and sat up straighter. It took a lot of self-restraint for Dawnpaw not to giggle.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Bramblepaw, from now on, you will be known as Brambleclaw. FireClan now welcomes you as a full warrior." Riverstar casted a look out at the gathering of cats with a slight smile on her muzzle before moving on to the next apprentice.

Right as she began to speak, Lilypaw rushed in and hopped onto a tree branch, panting hard. "Good to see you made it, Lilypaw. It was your turn now."

"Tawnywhisker, are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"She is indeed."

"I, Riverstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Lilypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Lilypaw, from now on, you will be known as Lilymoon. FireClan now welcomes you as a full warrior."

Lilymoon looked over at Dawnpaw excitedly, as if she completely forgot about their fight. Her eyes shown as bright as her name and she drummed her paws on the tree branch. Meanwhile, Riverstar went on. It seemed she was listing off each apprentice as they were lined on the tree. In this case, Dawnpaw would be next.

"Nightstorm, are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

Sharptongue and Nightstorm glanced at each other, speaking in unison. "We both know she's ready."

Riverstar smiled at their cooperation. "I, Riverstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Dawnpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Dawnpaw's heart and stomach fluttered as if they were being lifted up by thousands of tiny butterflies, anxious to fly out into the open. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dawnpaw, from now on, you will be known as Dawnheart. FireClan now welcomes you as a full warrior."

Dawnheart's mind was filled with feathers. Her tail swished behind her happily as she mewed quietly. "Thank you!"

Riverstar gave her a knowing glance before continuing on, moving to Brownpaw. "Hickoryleaf, are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"I am." Hickoryleaf was never one for extra words. He spared them when he could.

"I, Riverstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Brownpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Riverstar's blue-grey eyes were gentle and caring, even if they were barred with seriousness.

"I do, forever and ever." The apprentice declared, sitting up straighter.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Brownpaw, from now on, you will be known as Brownpelt. FireClan now welcomes you as a full warrior."

Brownpelt nodded seriously in thanks. The sleek leader continued. "Brightstep, are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

The mentor gave a nervous glance at her apprentice, who met her eyes with excitement. She nodded warily. "He is."

"I, Riverstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Cheesepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Riverstar continued, her voice strong and confident.

"Yes!" Cheesepaw meowed happily. Dawnpaw smiled at her friend's eagerness.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Cheesepaw, from now on, you will be known as Cheesefur. FireClan now welcomes you as a full warrior."

The new warrior dug his claws into his branch anxiously. "Thank you, Riverstar!"

He barely got the words out before the Clan began to chant all five of the new warriors' names. "Brambleclaw! Lilymoon! Cheesefur! Dawnheart! Brownpelt!"

Riverstar looked back towards the cats gathered around TallOak. "These new warriors shall have to stand vigil until sunrise once the moon comes up tonight. Cheesefur, Dawnheart, and Brambleclaw will be posted by the main entrance, while Brownpelt and Lilymoon will watch the forest entrance. Before I dismiss the Clan, does any cat have anything to say?"

Murmurs crossed through the clearing. Suddenly, Berrycloud stood. "Riverstar, if I may."

She nodded. "Go on, Berrycloud. What is it you wish to share with us?"

The old deputy cast a glance around the awaiting cats before making his announcement. "I have decided to move to the elder's den and resign as deputy. My bones have gotten too weak to fight and my mind too scattered to train another apprentice. I'm glad Brambleclaw was my last."

Most of the cats in the clearing nodded respectfully. "Alright, Berrycloud. Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest."

As she finished, Berrycloud moved over to where the elders sat. They all greeted him with warm smiles and tail flicks of acknowledgement. "As this came as a surprise to me, I must take some time to consider a new deputy. But don't worry, another meeting will be called once I have decided. Clan dismissed."

"Twilightsong, will you meet me in my den?" The leader asked the medicine cat, who was already heading over. Together the two she-cats headed toward the leader's den.

Dawnheart hopped off of the branch, her paws hitting the dewed grass with a feeling of refreshment. Brambleclaw walked towards her. "Hard to believe we're warriors already, huh? Takes forever to get here and once it does, it seems almost too soon."

"I know, right? It feels like just this sunrise we were learning how to still our tails so prey wouldn't hear or see us coming." The black she-cat stretched and padded towards the warrior's den. Cheesefur and Lilymoon had headed out to hunt and Brownpelt was meeting with Fernclaw to get a new splinter out of his pad, so it was only the two.

"Do you think they already have nests made for us, or even a place to put ours?" Brambleclaw asked, ducking into the dark den. Lo and behold, there were five newly-made nests in one of the corners of the den, ones that didn't have scents lingering around then.

"Well, those must be it." Dawnheart chose the cornermost nest and began to claw at the moss and get it into a more comfortable shape. "I'm taking this one."

Brambleclaw yawned and settled down in the moss and bracken a few pawsteps away from her. "I'm going to take a little nap. If any of the others come in, I'll warn them that you've already chosen yours."

"Thank you. I'm going to go see if the fresh-kill pile has enough prey in it. Do you want any?" The she-cat glanced at him before moving to exit the den. He shook his head and curled up in his nest, tail over his nose.

Dawnheart stepped out of the den quietly and looked toward the fresh-kill pile. It looked well stocked already and would most likely be overflowing by the time Cheesefur and Lilymoon got back. So, instead of hunting, she headed towards the nursery.

As soon as one leg got inside the dim den, small paws pushed into her side and bowled her over. She stumbled and fell to the ground as the kits crowded over her. The biggest one of Twistertail's, whom was named Tigerkit, stood triumphantly on her back while the others pummeled her with their soft paws.

"We have conquered the great beast!" He cried. Dawnheart swiveled her head and looked to the side.

"Who are you calling beast? Grrr!" She shook her pelt playfully and stood. The kits fell off and tumbled to the dirt, yowling in joy.

"Roar! I'm a badger and my favorite meal is kits!" Dawnheart nabbed Shadekit by her scruff and stomped around in exaggeration with her as she squealed.

"Nooo!" She protested, wiggling. It was difficult to hold her up, for they were almost apprentice-size now. Her siblings and Lionpelt's kits quickly came to her rescue.

The warrior set down Shadekit and shook out her pelt. "All games aside, how is everyone?"

More happy squeals came from the five kits. She sat down and the kits circled her. Crackkit, the shy one with what looked like a split in her eye, whispered into her friend, Sweetkit's ear.

"Tell us a story!" Sweetkit meowed, her eyes glimmering. Crackkit nodded enthusiastically.

"Like the time I…" Dawnheart paused dramatically. "Killed and ate a Twoleg?"

"No way!" The kits cried. Twistertail poked her head out and gave Dawnheart a gentle, meaningless glare. "You know that's not true. No cat alone could take down a Twoleg, nor would any want to."

The black she-cat laughed. "Okay, okay, you're right. Let me think of a better story to tell the kits."

Before she could start her story, Riverstar's yowl came from her den as she stepped out with Twilightsong and hopped onto her branch. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here around TallOak! …Again!"

Dawnheart waved her tail in goodbye to the kits and their mothers before walking towards where Cheesefur and Lilymoon sat, since they had just gotten back from hunting. She perched herself beside them and gazed up at her leader as the rest of the Clan gathered.

"Twilightsong and I have decided a new deputy for the Clan. I hope you all agree with my choice, especially my retired deputy." Riverstar nodded to Berrycloud.

"Badgerstrike, you shall be named the new deputy of FireClan. Do you accept the position?"

A look of surprise crossed Badgerstrike's face. "Yes…I accept. Thank you, Riverstar."

Riverstar smiled and nodded. "That was all I had to say. Clan dismissed."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Dawnheart sat under the dry branches of the birch trees on the evening of the Gathering, her tail draped over the sleeping Cheesefur. She had promised to wake him up once Riverstar called the Clan meeting to address who would be going.

The night was almost sticky with humidity, and even if the sun was going down, the temperature sure wasn't. Dawnheart envied how her orange friend could sleep through any weather without interruption easily. In boredom, she recalled the previous morning's events.

She had been sent on sunrise border patrol with Brambleclaw and Foxbark. It wasn't too bad, if you wake up early enough to get a bite to eat from the nearly-spoiled fresh kill on the pile. Now that it was mid greenleaf, it was hotter than ever and it was risky to eat prey that had been sitting out overnight. Dawnheart especially disliked this part of year, as her pelt was black and absorbed the sunlight. She was only glad that they had the shade from the trees and the rushing water of the river.

After that, she hunted with Nightstorm in a hunting patrol, whom of which consisted them and Tawnywhisker. Of course, she had to insist to Badgerstrike that she wasn't overheated and was glad to get her paws on another patrol. Together, the two had caught a rabbit, two sparrows, and a plump mouse. They were a force to be reckoned with once they set mind on a certain piece of prey.

Only after those two patrols did Dawnheart admit she needed rest. So, she had helped the elders with their ticks and getting water-soaked moss, since there were no apprentices anymore to do the job. Plus, she was the only willing warrior that had been in camp at the moment.

Once she had finished, she had attempted to talk to Lilymoon again, but the excitement from their warrior ceremony three sunrises prior had run out and so had Lilymoon's patience with Dawnheart. A certain hatred crossed the pretty cat's eyes every time she snuck a glance at her previous friend. Which Dawnheart would've passed off as just being angry at her, but it was still the matter of Brightmoon.

So now she was supervising Cheesefur's snooze after they shared fresh-kill. The last ray of sun blitzed over the landscape, making Dawnheart grimace and turn away. Just as she had expected, Riverstar had exited her den and hopped up on her usual branch. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here around TallOak!"

Elders roused themselves from stretching in the lingering warmness to pull their bodies towards TallOak. Most of the warriors practically ran to get a spot close to the tree, looking up at their leader with a, expectant sparkle in their eyes. Dawnheart nudged Cheesefur, who blinked sleepily, but sat up.

"As you all know, I'm going to be announcing the cats whom will come with me to the Gathering shortly. I see no point in waiting, so I'll get started." The grey she-cat paused, checking to make sure she had every cat's attention. "Of course, the new warriors; Brambleclaw, Lilymoon, Dawnheart, Cheesefur, and Brownpelt. Nightstorm, Brokenstem, and Foxbark. All of you please meet me by the main entrance once you're ready."

Dawnheart began to quickly and carefully groom herself, matting down the tousled fur behind her ears and the rowdy patches on her tail. She shifted her shoulders, feeling the fur in between them sticking up with sap. "Cheesefur, can you help me? I can't reach behind here…"

Her orange friend looked up at her call and padded over, beginning to groom the sapped spot. Dawnheart purred happily and thanked Cheesefur once he finished. He only nodded, heading back towards the small clump of cats waiting with their leader to go to the Gathering.

The black cat followed soon after, but sat a bit away from the group in the shade. It was cooling down now that the sun was sinking below the treeline, but humidity clung in the air like an irritable fly on fresh-kill. Dawnheart let out a content sigh as Nightstorm sat next to her.

"Busy day, huh?" He asked, looking up at the puffy white clouds littering the sky. She nodded.

"Let's just hope the Gathering goes well. It'll be my first as a warrior." The she-cat shuffled her paws on the thin grass. Nightstorm lay his tail across her back in encouragement.

"It'll go great, I promise." He carefully pressed his muzzle to her cheek, being taller than she was. A smile worked its way onto Dawnheart's face.

"Are we all ready?" Came Riverstar's call. She was standing at the camp entrance with her tail lifted high, pride shining in her eyes. When nods and calls of excitement came from the group, she whisked around. "Then let's go, shall we?"

Nightstorm stayed close to his previous apprentice during the walk to the Berry Patch, his pelt brushing hers every so often. Dawnheart didn't mind. In fact, she quite enjoyed having his silent company. The trees cast peaceful shadows along the ground as they walked at the back of the group of warriors accompanying their leader.

It was nearly dark overhead when FireClan made their way into the Berry Patch. All three of the other Clans were present already, their cats mingling. Riverstar swept cautiously through the horde of cats, making a beeline for her stump. She hopped onto it as Badgerstrike sat beneath it.

The clearing went quiet, but once it was clear the leaders had no intention to start yet, they continued their conversations. Nightstorm glanced to the side. "I'm going to go meet with someone, but I'll be back soon, okay?"

Dawnheart nodded and looked past him to see whom he had meant. She watched as her former mentor approached a pretty chestnut brown she-cat and began to talk with her. Jealousy stirred hot in Dawnheart's stomach, but she turned away before Nightstorm could see her glaring. Almost as soon as she turned, though, a familiar scent wafted towards her. Soon, the cat owning it appeared.

"Hey, Mintstripe!" Dawnheart greeted him, padding forward. He looked around in confusion before his eyes lit up, landing on her.

"Dawnpaw! Actually, I was looking for you…" His voice trailed off nervously as he glanced around. "Can we maybe talk outside of the Patch? It's private out there…"

She gave him a reproachful look, caught slightly off guard. "I-It's Dawnheart, and yeah, sure, I guess?"

Mintstripe got up quickly and darted to the edge of the berry bushes, exiting the Patch. Dawnheart followed in confusion. He trailed out at least a dozen tail-lengths away before sitting down, as carefully as if porcupine quills were stuck in the ground. The black she-cat sat in front of him. "What's all this about?"

He shifted uncomfortably, glancing from side to side. "Well, I wanted to ask you something…"

"Yeah, so? What is it?" When seconds snailed by and he didn't respond, Dawnheart got impatient. "The Gathering is going to start any minute. Just get on with it."

"Well… I guess I'll just come out and say it…" He paused again, staring at his shifting paws. "Do you wanna be my mate?"

Dawnheart stared at him, stunned. As she was about to speak, a snarl came from behind her. " _Excuse me?"_

Nightstorm stepped beside her, glaring at Mintstripe with his teeth showing. Mintstripe was backing away with a panicked look on his face. "I-I…Who…Who are y-you…?"

"Her mentor. Also known as the one making sure she doesn't break the warrior code to be with an idiotic furball." He growled, unsheathing his claws.

"Wait, Nightstorm, i-it's not like I was going to say _yes_ …" Dawnheart began to protest, standing in between them.

"You weren't?" Mintstripe hissed, unsheathing his own claws. "You ungrateful foxheart, do you know how rude that is?"

"Don't. Talk to her. Like. That." Nightstorm growled, but Mintstripe continued.

"When a tom offers to be your mate it's just polite to say yes." He narrowed his eyes at her. "It's not like you'll find another one. Didn't you see the way this mouse-brain here was flirting with Deerheart? He obviously doesn't like you!"

Pain twisted inside Dawnheart, tears pricking her eyes. "Just look at her. She's prettier than you'll ever be. Nightstorm is just protecting you because he feels accountable. You're still a little apprentice to him, after all."

She barely heard Nightstorm growl at him to shut up. Her paws turned her around and took off into the woods as fast as they could go. Her eyesight was blurred, but she went the way she felt was right. Even though the night was hot, Dawnheart felt cold and alone. All she could see soon was darkness.

Bitter thoughts stabbed at her mind, pricking her eyes until she had a headache. Her paws fell from under her as she tumbled carelessly down a hill. Dawnheart came to a halt at the bottom and stayed where she was, closing her eyes and willing sleep to come take her away. Either that, or a bloodthirsty badger.


End file.
